Obj. ID: 37446
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Hanukkah lamp, Alsace, circa 1850

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.

One of the rarest types of Chanukah menorahs not made of silver is this example constructed from pewter and wood. Its folk style is very reminiscent of the Alsace region of France, where it was found. There are only another one or two examples of this type recorded. Each light is in the form of a chair, marked with the Hebrew letters Nun and Chet, an abbreviation for Ner Chanukah.