Obj. ID: 38633  Synagogue Lamp, Asilah (Arzila), circa 1925

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

This is a synagogue lamp for the lighting of the synagogue during prayers in the evening. . The elaborate fixture is contructed from cast and sheet brass, using the hamsa as a motif as well as a large hexagon as the central part of the structure. Such lamps were mostly found in the northern areas, in what was called Spanish Morocco. This particular lamp came from the synagogue in Arzilla. Such fixtures were lit in addition to the many memorial lamps hung from the ceiling to provide illumination. There seem to be just a few such lamps surviving to today. It is definitely one of the rarer synagogue Judaica items. When lit, the lamp is an impressive sight.