Home
   Under Reconstruction!
Object Alone

Obj. ID: 11620
Sacred and Ritual Objects
  Hanukkah lamp, Ukraine, circa 1800

© Center for Jewish Art, Photographer: Unknown,

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

The Festival of Chanukah is celebrated in the winter period around December and commemorates a Biblical story in which the Jews of the Land of Israel rebel against the Greek occupiers. They reclaim the desecrated Holy Temple in Jerusalem and, miraculously, the small amount of pure oil remaining is enough to keep the Temple light going for eight days. Lamps with eight burners are lit during this holiday, both in the synagogue and at home. Through the centuries, such lamps have taken a wide variety of forms.

The most common type of Chanukah lamp in Galicia and later in Poland was the cast brass lamp. The decorative panel that serves as the back of this Chanukah menorah is typical of the designs that appeared on many different objects in the area of Galicia and Ukraine. The birds, the lions, the twisted pillars, the central menorah, and the double-headed eagle are all symbols that appeared singly and often together in papercuts, on synagogue wall paintings, on tombstones, on various ritual objects, and in printed sheets and manuscripts. That this motif appears so delicately rendered in this cast brass menorah should come as no surprise, as many of the artisans in the brass casting profession in the area were Jews. The typical Chanukah lamp from this area had what appear to be two "Shamash" burners. This allowed the lamp to be used all year long, not only for Chanukah but for the kindling of two Shabbat lights as well.

Summary and Remarks
Remarks

8 image(s)

sub-set tree:

Name/Title
Hanukkah lamp | Unknown
Object Detail
Monument Setting
Unknown
Date
circa 1800
Synagogue active dates
Reconstruction dates
Artist/ Maker
Unknown
Origin
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Congregation
Location
Unknown |
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Unknown|
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Textual Content
Unknown |
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Shape / Form
Unknown
Material / Technique
Brass, Cast, Turned
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
Height
25 cm
Length
Width
32 cm
Depth
12 cm
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition
Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents
Codicology
Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
Colophon
Scribal Notes
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding
Decoration Program
Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Main Surveys & Excavations
Sources
Type
Documenter
|
Author of description
|
Architectural Drawings
|
Computer Reconstruction
|
Section Head
|
Language Editor
|
Donor
|
Negative/Photo. No.
The following information on this monument will be completed:
Unknown |