The back panel of this early Hanukkah lamp is inscribed from side to side with the words "We kindle these lights . . ." in elaborate Ashkenazi calligraphy. The inscription ends with "Meir Halpern" – probably the name of the person who commissioned the lamp – and the Hebrew year. The top of the lamp features dragons like those that appear in medieval manuscripts. The side panels are designed to look like Gothic towers.
Credit: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Hen, The Hague, Netherlands
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