Obj. ID: 38543 Hanukkah lamp, Italy, circa 1700?
sub-set tree:
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.
This particular style seems to represent a very early form of Italian Chanukah lamp. Another two examples are recorded, but such early examples are rare in any case. Its simple classical forms echo the Renaissance and give it a quite unique elegance.