Obj. ID: 38556  Candlesticks (Sabbath), Israel/Eretz Israel, circa 1943

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Shabbat lights are kindled on Friday evening to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. This lighting is a Rabbinically mandated law, representing 1 of the 3 primary Jewish female obligations. During the ceremony the woman recites a blessing. There are containers for holding the material to be kindled that are in multiple forms and fashioned from various materials.

Pure modernist design for Judaica in the Bauhaus tradition was originated and developed by Ludwig Wolpert. He worked on three continents during his career. He was born and trained in Germany, where he originally worked as a sculptor until be begin learning silversmithing in 1925. He began designing modern forms in Judaica in the late 1920's. . Almost no silver Judaica made by Wolpert survived the Holocaust. Wolpert emigrated to Palestine in 1935 where he created his own objects in his unique style and through his teaching at the New Bezalel School, until 1956, he trained a whole generation of silversmiths working in a contemporary style. From his time in Israel there is a pair of brass candle holders in the Gross Family Collection. He then moved to the United States where he established the Tobe Pascher workshop in the Jewish Museum of New York From that time he has been known as the father of contemporary styled Judaica objects. His pieces are distinguished by their elegant, pure forms, their functionalism and the beauty of the Hebrew lettering which he used on many of his creations.

These small candle holders are formed in typical Wolpert style, emphasizing both simplicity and elegance. Two of these comprised candlesticks for Shabbat. Nine of them could be used as a lamp for Chanukah.