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Hanukkah Lamp

Unknown Artist/Makerearly 18th century

The Jewish Museum, New York

The Jewish Museum, New York
New York, United States

The form and composition of this lamp and others like it seem based on that created by Johann Valentin Schüler of Frankfurt in the late seventeenth century. The center of the backplate retained a dominant image, which came to be a menorah, while the sides developed into arches containing the Hebrew blessings said during the kindling of the Hanukkah lights. Small cast figures decorate the corners of the bench, here consisting of Judith, a soldier with shield, a hunter blowing a horn, and a dancing woman. In this context they may have been intended to represent such biblical heroes as Judah Maccabee, Joshua, and Miriam. On the backplate, Moses stands to the left of the menorah, here actually a Hanukkah lamp, while Aaron, the High Priest, kindles the lights. The bears and the coat of arms with Latin inscription may relate to the place where the lamp was made.
Six examples of this lamp type are known, three of them with the mark of an unidentified silversmith from Halberstadt, in Prussia, who began working in 1711. It is possible that the design concept, which may have originated in the more important silversmithing center of Frankfurt, was seen at the major market held in that city, and adapted by masters working further east. The Jewish community of Halberstadt was reestablished in the second half of the seventeenth century, and by 1699 had grown to 118 families. They were allowed to build a synagogue only in 1712, probably around the time that this lamp was made. Community members were engaged in a variety of occupations, including finance and industry, and thus the wealthiest could have afforded such elaborate silver lamps.
The version of Ha-Nerot Hallalu is the Ashkenazi variant, with the reversal of the words "wonders" and "redemptions."

Details

  • Title: Hanukkah Lamp
  • Creator: Unknown Artist/Maker
  • Date Created: early 18th century
  • Location: Germany, Europe
  • Physical Dimensions: 11 11/16 × 11 1/2 × 3 5/16 in. (29.7 × 29.2 × 8.4 cm)
  • Type: Ceremonial Art
  • Rights: https://thejewishmuseum.org/about-this-site#terms-conditions
  • External Link: View this object at thejewishmuseum.org
  • Medium: Silver: repoussé, engraved, chased, punched, appliqué, parcel-gilt, and cast

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