Rare Printed Books,
Manuscripts, Autograph Letters,
Photographs, Graphic & Ceremonial Arts
And Featuring: A Significant Offering Relating to Jews in the American Civil War.
|
LOT 217:
ITALIAN BRASS CHANUKAH LAMP.
more...
|
|
|
Start price:
$
700
Estimated price :
$1,000 - $1,500
Buyer's Premium: 25%
sales tax: 8.875% On the full lot's price and commission
|
ITALIAN BRASS CHANUKAH LAMP.
Arched openwork backplate with figure of sword-wielding Judith and severed head of Holofernes over Baroque scrollwork and resting lions, row of eight oil fonts and servant light.
6 x 8 inches.
Late 19th-century
The story of Judith and Holofernes, traditionally associated with the Chanukah story, is the theme of this lamp. Based on an early design, it depicts Judith holding a sword in one hand and the severed head of Holofernes, Nebuchadnezzar’s general, in the other.
Judith (daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, father of the Hasmonean family) successfully charmed the general, plying him with wine and ultimately decapitating him. Hearing of his murder, the Jews felt empowered to retaliate causing the Assyrian army to flee.
See S. Braunstein, Luminous Art: Hanukkah Menorahs of the Jewish Museum (2004) p. 113, no. 48.
