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"From the shtetlach (villages) of Eastern Europe to the boisterous shores of New York’s Coney Island, immigrant Jewish artisans brought with them a vital and meaningful visual tradition that helped bridge the transition from the Old World to the New. Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel traces the journey of Jewish woodcarvers and other artists from Eastern and Central Europe to America and the unsung role they played in establishing a distinct Jewish visual culture in communities throughout the United States.
As Jewish immigrants struggled to balance the continuation of an observant life with the realities of adjusting to a new environment, artisans responded to the vigorous pull of the spiritual and the secular through the perpetuation of familiar forms and the new application of traditional artmaking skills. It was within this powerful dynamic that a surprising link was forged between the synagogue and the carousel. |