A complex series of mystical texts and rituals within medieval Judaism, the
Kabbalah endeavors to explain God by contemplating the anthropomorphic
traits of designed artefacts ? the Hebrew letterforms and the
Sephirotic diagram. This article examines anthropomorphism in these
artefacts from a design point of view. The author focuses on the
relationships among visual elements within an artefact, and connections
between the artefact?s formal qualities and the form of depictions of the
body. Despite the Hebraic fear of graven images, the visual form of the
Sephirotic diagram can be understood fundamentally as a nuanced,
abstract representation of the human body. The designers of this diagram
incorporate basic geometric elements of the body and appropriate the
visual vocabulary of medieval anatomy. Interpreted visually, the Hebrew
alphabetic ?characters? look and act like living creatures ? they are fleshy
beings wielding immense creative ability. Such design-based
interpretations of the visual form of the Hebrew letters and the Sephirot
evoke new and exciting anthropomorphic renderings. |