Page 367 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Portraits: familial

161 Rachel dreaming of children
Polychrome coconut husk
5” tall (approximate)

As related in his grandson Jordan’s reminiscences, this is
probably the finest of the coconut heads extant at the time of
AR’s move from Figueroa Street. Three small infants nestle in
the jet-black hair of a wide-eyed, enigmatically-smiling woman.
Her vivid face is dominated by straight black eyebrows. AR
himself titled this piece—but left a mystery: which Rachel? It
might be his sister, whose life he describes in the narrative; or
Jacob’s wife, the mother of Benjamin, whose story AR heard in
the bet hamidrash in Pelcovizna (also in the narrative). A case
might be made for either one. Apart from possibly being one
of the few portraits of anyone in the family, it is a brilliant
piece of folk art; one could stump the ethnologists with this
carving. AR painted and lacquered it carefully, indicating its
importance to him; it is nevertheless a pity he thought so little
of his coconut heads that almost all were lost.

148 Profile of a woman
Wood
7.5” x 7”

This cameo relief framed with an almost square plaque has
been identified as representing Fannie Rothstein. It does not
resemble her photographs, but its proportions indicate AR
carved it from memory—whoever it may be. Below the large
space-filling head a tiny hand is raised to the chin, in the old-
fashioned “pensive” pose. The visible costume is an early
twentieth-century dress with a high collar, modest but stylish.
The woman’s hair is up in a bun at the back of her head, held
by barrette. AR had trouble carving an eye in relief; the frontal-
view orb here gives the work a somewhat disconcerting effect.
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