Obj. ID: 37522 Hanukkah lamp, Sefrou (Séfrou), circa 1875
sub-set tree:
O | Ornamentation: | Ornament
F | Flower
A | Arch | Horseshoe arches
W | Window | Rose window
B | Bird
|
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 Chanukah menorah is constructed of hinged sections, the only such creation known from Morocco. It is identified with Meknes, and the type of arches used on the lamp is consistent with that conclusion. It is a very rare type, with only a handful of examples recorded in collections around the world. The design elements of the arches, rose windows and surface decoration are all found in Moroccan buildings, both secular and religious. There is another of this type in the Gross Family Collection, 010.002.043.