Show all records
Click image for high resolution zoom or multiple image views.

    Title

  • Shabbat oil lamp

  • Physical Description

    1 sabbath lamp : brass ; 15 x 9.25 x 9.25 in. (37.3 x 23.4 x 24 cm.)

  • Summary

    Brass Sabbath lamp made up of multiple parts: a ratchet (hanging element) with boot decoration on the clasp; the shaft; an eight-point star oil holder; a drip pan; and two candle holders that slot into place at the top of the shaft. Two additional candle holders are missing.

  • Subject

    Eighteenth century; Sabbath; Candlesticks

  • Medium

    Ceremonial objects; Objects

  • Accession Number

  • URL

Biographical/Historical Information

This Sabbath lamp is from the synagogue of Laupheim, Germany.

Sabbath lamps are lit at the beginning of Sabbath in Jewish homes. Similar lamps were used to illuminate homes and castles in Europe during the Middle Ages. Jewish communities also used these lamps for rituals and their use persisted within Jewish homes through the ages, which earned them the identifier of "Judenstern," or Jewish star.

Reproductions and Permissions

We welcome fair use of this content. Please credit the Leo Baeck Institute in your citation. For usage policies and to request higher resolution images, see Reproductions and Permissions.

Citation

Shabbat oil lamp, Leo Baeck Institute, 2013.190.