Obj. ID: 37605
Sacred and Ritual Objects Memorial Lamp, Fes (Fez), circa 1925
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
Every synagogue in Morocco was filled with memorial lamps hanging from the ceiling of the structure. There were different forms in different areas, some from varying materials such as brass or silver. This example is of brass, featuring many hamsas and an unusually shaped glass for holding the oil and wick.
This is a synagogue lamp of glass without inscription. The holder is of cast and sheet brass, using the hamsa as a motif and containing an ostrich egg above the glass. This is a very rare type.The ostrich egg is the most unusual element and it is both decorated in a geometric pattern and held by decorated brass strips with a cast hamsa at the bottom. The egg itself is an amuletic object, representing fertility. The lamp was most likely donated by a woman seeking to become pregnant.