A Hanukkah Lamp Chosen for This Year’s Festival of Lights
The profusion of flowers on this Hanukkah lamp takes inspiration from both biblical and Eastern European sources. On the arms are blossoms and buds referring to those on the first menorah built for the Tabernacle in the wilderness, as described in Exodus 25: “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold. . . . And there shall be six branches [with] cups made like almond-blossoms . . . a knop and a flower.”
The floral brackets around the base are similar to the reflectors on Ukrainian chandeliers, but function here merely as decoration. They perhaps suggest the metaphor of the menorah as a Tree of Life.
- Susan L. Braunstein, Henry J. Leir Curator
This Hanukkah lamp, selected from our world-renowned collection, will stand in the Skirball Lobby through the celebration of Hanukkah, December 16–24, 2014. It was chosen to create a dialogue with Bouquet XI (2014), artist Willem de Rooij’s visually complex floral sculpture, on view in the lobby through April 19, 2015. Be sure to see it on your next visit, and share your photos by using the hashtag #JMHanukkah and tagging @TheJewishMuseum.
