Chanukah lamp. [Eastern Europe, presumably Poland, late 18th or early 19th century].
Silver, repoussé, pierced, and cut (unmarked); silver, cast.
The center of the backplate is decorated with a convex shield featuring a repoussé seven-branched menorah, flanked on either side by a pair of architectonic columns adorned with spiraling grapevines and grape clusters, supporting vases with flowers. Columns flanked in turn by repoussé peacocks and parrots. Near the top of the backplate is a small repoussé plaque bearing the Hebrew inscription "Nes Chanukah". Side panels adorned with matching decorations.
The base of the lamp is hollow, and at its center is the row of oil fonts, shaped like eight fish, with gaping mouths, each emerging from a pierced oval opening in front. At the back of the base is a hinged door, closed with a hook. The base protrudes forward at either end with a pair of square pedestals. Perched on top of these pedestals is a pair of large ducks, screwed on. The lamp stands on four outward-pointing paws.
This Chanukah lamp is documented and illustrated in the Jüdisches Lexikon (Berlin, 1930), under the entry "Menora", vol. 4a, plate CXXII (termed here as "Altwiener Arbeit" – "Old Viennese work" – although it was likely made in Poland). In the illustration, a servant light can be seen attached to the left side panel. The holes mentioned below are also visible.
Height: 27 cm. Maximal width: 32 cm. Maximal depth: 10 cm. Overall good condition. Row of oil fonts not original. Six small holes in backplate, one hole in each side panel, and one larger hole in center of base, most likely evidence of missing ornaments. Bracket attached to left side panel, apparently for (missing) servant light; traces of another bracket on right side panel.
Provenance: Kedem, Auction 20, December 19, 2011, Lot 45; Sotheby's, New York, December 17, 2013, Lot 41.
