THE ART OF HANUKAH 0. THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY 1. The ART OF CHANUKAH OR HANUKAH??? 2. הההההis Hebrew for ‘DEDICATION’ 3a. JUDAH THE MACCABEE-Rothschild Miscellany, No. Italy, 1450-80 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah . China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Pen and ink, tempera, gold leaf on vellum. 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (21 x 15.9 cm). Ms. 180/51, fol. 217. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Gift of James A. de Rothschild, London Rothschild Miscellany is an illuminated Hebrew manuscript It has over 300 text illustrations It is a compilation of almost 50 religious and secular works It was made during the Florentine Renaissance It was for a Jew of great wealth and taste in Florence These illustrations are based on Josephus’s account of history These images and text are for the Sabbath during Hanukkah Judah the Maccabee is shown as a medieval knight in armor His shield has a rampant lion, the Jewish symbol of strength 3b. JUDITH AND HOLOFERNES-Rothschild Miscellany, No. Italy, 1450-80 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah . China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Pen and ink, tempera, gold leaf on vellum. 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (21 x 15.9 cm). Ms. 180/51, fol. 217. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Gift of James A. de Rothschild, London Judith is the heroine who decapitated Holofernes He was the military leader of the enemy of the Jews She saved the Jewish people from destruction 4. KINDLING THE HANUKKAH LIGHTS -Sefer HaMinhagim, 1723 Kosofsky, S. M. (2004). The Book of Customs. San Francisco: Harper Collins This image is from the Book of Customs It shows a man kindling a very large Hanukah Lamp It was probably kept in the synagogue This is a print made by the woodblock technique Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 8/24/22 1
This is the script to accompany the images in "The Art of Hanukah," 2009.
Text of 2009 The Artof Hanukkah4website
THE ART OF HANUKAH 0. THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY
1. The ART OF CHANUKAH OR HANUKAH??? 2. is Hebrew for DEDICATION
3a. JUDAH THE MACCABEE-Rothschild Miscellany, No. Italy, 1450-80
Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin,
Inc. Pen and ink, tempera, gold leaf on vellum. 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in.
(21 x 15.9 cm). Ms. 180/51, fol. 217. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Gift of James A. de Rothschild, London Rothschild Miscellany is an
illuminated Hebrew manuscript It has over 300 text illustrations It
is a compilation of almost 50 religious and secular works It was
made during the Florentine Renaissance It was for a Jew of great
wealth and taste in Florence These illustrations are based on
Josephuss account of history These images and text are for the
Sabbath during Hanukkah Judah the Maccabee is shown as a medieval
knight in armor His shield has a rampant lion, the Jewish symbol of
strength 3b. JUDITH AND HOLOFERNES-Rothschild Miscellany, No.
Italy, 1450-80 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh
Lauter Levin, Inc. Pen and ink, tempera, gold leaf on vellum. 8 1/4
x 6 1/4 in. (21 x 15.9 cm). Ms. 180/51, fol. 217. The Israel
Museum, Jerusalem. Gift of James A. de Rothschild, London Judith is
the heroine who decapitated Holofernes He was the military leader
of the enemy of the Jews She saved the Jewish people from
destruction 4. KINDLING THE HANUKKAH LIGHTS -Sefer HaMinhagim, 1723
Kosofsky, S. M. (2004). The Book of Customs. San Francisco: Harper
Collins This image is from the Book of Customs It shows a man
kindling a very large Hanukah Lamp It was probably kept in the
synagogue This is a print made by the woodblock technique It
displays the characteristic checkerboard pattern of floor tiles
Notice the diagonal frets in the windows of Holland 5. KINDLING THE
HANUKKAH LIGHTS-Moritz Oppenheim, 1880 Berman, N. (1996). The Art
of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Oil on canvas. 27 11/16
x 22 1/2 in. (70.4 x 57.2 cm). The Israel Museum, Jerusalem Moritz
Oppenheim is often considered the first Jewish painter This is due
to his genre paintings They depicted traditional Jewish life This
was during German Jewish emancipation in the 19th century Oppenheim
was born in 1800 in Hanau He was educated in art in Munich, Paris,
and Rome He returned to Frankfurt where he lived out his life until
He died in 1882 He was a master portraitist of the Rothschilds, his
major patrons Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 1
THE ART OF HANUKAH This painting is in the grisaille medium
(various gray tones) It was created between 1865 and 1880 Oppenheim
steadfastly used Jewish subject matter This was when many Jews were
converting to Christianity They did that in order to achieve
financial success Oppenheim had a childhood home full of fine
ceremonial objects The nostalgia of the Hanukkah celebration may
have come from there It joined his conviction of the value of
Jewish religious experience Note the many Hanukkah lamps in the
room This indicates that each family member participated in the
mitzvah That is of lighting and blessing the candles His Pictures
of Old-Time Jewish Family Life are reproductions These are of the
cycle of his paintings It was published in many versions in the
l.19th and e. 20th centuries 6. CHANUKAH CANDLES-Zeev Raban,
Bezalel Academy, 1920s. Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah.
China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Zeev Raban was a European-trained
artist He taught in many departments of the Bezalel Academy of Art
After 1914 -He also designed many commercial products It is his
design that appears on the familiar box of Hanukkah candles This is
now nearly 100 years later The use of light originates at the
beginning of all time Those first words were: Let there be light
Light was separated from darkness This marked the first act of
Creation The Midrash says that light is not of this world It
emanates from ennoblement That is, of something that comes from the
other side of reality The Baal Shem Tov said that the Hebrew word
for light is or It has the same numerological value as raz, or
mystery Hanukkah celebrates Judah Maccabees triumph over the
Syrians That happened in 165 BCE A miracle accompanied this even
The Temple menorah burned for eight days on a one-day supply of oil
7. DREIDLS-Various Artists, American and Israeli. Berman, N.
(1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Mixed
media: lacquer, paint, paper decal, plastic, porcelain, and wood
Height: 2-3 in. (5.1 7 cm) Collection of Linda and Leonard Thal,
Los Angeles. Dreidels-in wood, ivory, cast lead, silver, pewter,
and other metals Todays dreidels also use Wood Glass ceramic
plastic Plexiglas Liquids Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 2
THE ART OF HANUKAH Confetti Electronics And other
non-traditional materials. Tiffany and Wedgwood make them of
silver, porcelain, and crystal These clearly reflect a modern
Jewish sensibility Some are wound up and walk instead of spin,
while others play music. Russian-Israeli artists create dreidels
like Russian nesting dolls These colorful and unique dreidels
enhance the Hiddur Mitzvah This is especially true within a
contemporary Jewish home 8. MENORAH AND MAGNOLIAS-Bill Aron, 1993
Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin,
Inc Silver gelatin print. 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm). Collection
of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience Bill Aron
photographs of Jewish communities throughout the world 1989-Museum
of the Southern Jewish Experience commissioned him He was charged
to document uniquely southern Jewish life This photograph captures
such a moment It evokes the spirit and customs of the Jewish south
It highlights the Jewish value of transmitting Jewish customs LDor
vDor-from generation to generation The graceful magnolia is the
state flower for Mississippi It symbolizes the strength and beauty
of the South This contemporary family kindles the Hanukkah lights
in a window It proclaims the miracle for all to see 9. HANUKKAH
LAMP- Avignon, c. 12th c. Wigoder, G. (1972). Jewish Art &
Civilization, Fribourg, Switzerland: Chartwell Marble from the
Pyrenees. Paris, Klagbald Collection The lamp has eight
compartments for the oil wicks The inscription reads: For the
Commandment is a Lamp, and the Law is Light That is from Proverbs
6: 23 It is often used on Hanukkah Lamps 10. LEHMAN/FIGDOR HANUKKAH
LAMP- Italy (?), 14/16th c Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah.
China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc 5 3/8 x 6 11/16 x 2 in.( 13.7 x 17 x
5.1 cm) Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York Bequest of
Judge Irving Lehman, 1945 Formerly in the collection of Dr. Albert
Figdor, Vienna This lamp is the oldest Ashkenazi bronze lamp in
existence That is, according to Professor Bezalel Narkiss The
architectural character relates to the High Gothic style That is of
the European Middle Ages This is a of rare cast bronze lamp Cast in
a mold in a single piece It is one of several rare medieval extant
bronze Hanukkah lamps The lamps were designed with a back panel
That is in order to hang it in a window or inside a room It is
intended to be seen from outside the house Myrna Teck, Ph. D.
12/3/09 3
THE ART OF HANUKAH This is what is prescribed by the Talmud
There is a four-pointed quatrefoil in this central medallion It
encloses a grotesque animal: a salamander, phoenix, or dragon These
are all symbolically associated with fire They are thus appropriate
to the rededication of the Temple menorah Lions of Judah inhabit
the roundels, typical of medieval manuscripts Squirrels holding
nuts are a reference to mystical Cabala writings Or they may be to
the Jewish metaphor linking the Torah to a nut As one peels away a
nuts hard outer shell to get to the kernel So the study of Torah
requires many levels of interpretation That is to discover its true
meaning The shell and the kernel are compared in the Zohar
(Splendor) That is, to the levels of meaning of the study of Torah.
Intersecting arcades are an architectural reference to the Temple
The quote from Proverbs 6:23 is seen here once again 11. HANUKKAH
LAMP-Fez, Morocco, 18th c Sed-Rajna, G. (Ed.). (1997). Jewish Art.
New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc Brass, cast, pierced, and engraved.
19 x 19 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (48.3 x 23.5 x 7 cm). The Israel Museum,
Jerusalem. Tycho Collection The backwall of this lamp is made of
two separately cast pieces. The triangular upper section has birds
perched on its branches The lower part has two arcades of horseshoe
arch windows These reflect local architecture The lamp has an
overall decorative quality This reflects the richly ornamented
domes on mosques in the area 12. HANUKKAH LAMP-Valentine Schuler,
late 17th c Grossman, G. (1995). Jewish art. NY: Hugh Lauter Levin
Assoc., Inc Valentin and his brother Michael established a workshop
in Germany For 80 years, it produced the most magnificent silver
Judaica These branches are similar to the biblical description
Exodus 25: 33- knobs and flowers of the seven-branched menorah Here
the knops are bell-shaped Judith holds the head of Holofernes at
the top of the lamp There is an animal on each burner: squirrel,
stag, eagle, and pelican These may be emblems of Jewish families
from the Frankfurt ghetto Base has medallions with architectural
engravings appliqu angels Rampant lions holding shields form the
feet of the lamp The lamp was for a wedding in the Judengasse in
Frankfurt, 1681 13. HANUKKAH LAMP-Brody, 1787 Berman, N. (1996).
The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Mid-to late 18th
c.-high baroque and rococo German aesthetic Architectural motifs
are traditional to Hanukkah lamps Ancient practice of placing the
lamp to be seen from the street This backplate is based on Torah
arks in Polish synagogues Strict symmetry and horror vacui are the
two aesthetic principles These principles exist on this lamp
Heraldic animals face one another at the central vertical axis
Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 4
THE ART OF HANUKAH Griffins support a crown symbolic of the
Torah It is aligned with the meeting point of the ark doors. There
is a contrast between the architecture and surrounding areas They
are overlaid with dense silver vegetation The gilt ground is
distinctly different It is as if the artist possessed a fear of
empty spaces Horror vacui is most reminiscent of folk art The
artists skill is evident in the graceful forms of natural life
Rococo scrolls and cartouche at bottom are examples Lions are the
shape for the burners in this lamp They recall the biblical Lion of
Judah The crown above the ark doors refers to the crown of Torah
14. HANUKKAH LAMP-Eastern Europe, late 19th c Berman, N. (1996).
The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Bronze, cast.
29 34 x 26 12 in 13 3/4 in. (75.5 x 67.3 x 34.9 cm). Rose and
Benjamin Mintz Collection The Jewish Museum, New York This lamp is
a menagerie of animals from the Garden of Eden They are arranged in
heraldic pairs along a central vertical axis This exotic paradise
consists of: Four dolphins Two elephants Two lions Birds Deer
Griffins A gorilla A bear They create the harmony and peace the
Maccabees fought to ensure The protruding candleholder for the
shammash emphasizes this axis Many aspects of this lamp recall east
European folk art Torah arks and the carvings on tombstones may be
design sources Animals in dense foliage with openings are like
paper cutting This lamps complex composition drew on sophisticated
arts Open ironwork reached its apogee in the first half of the 19th
c. This lamp was probably a special commission Unique decoration
reflects the fantasy of its maker, patron, or both It is a
sculptural celebration of art in the service of ritual This lamp
came from Rose and Benjamin Mintz They were dealers in antiquities
in Poland 1939-They brought their collection of E. European folk
art to NYC They intended to exhibit it at the New York Worlds Fair
The items were never put on display That is, because they were not
products of Palestine The Mintzes remained in America after the
Nazi invasion of Poland Their collection became part of the Jewish
Museum 15. HAMSA HANUKKAH LAMP-Iraq, 19th c. Berman, N. (1996). The
Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Myrna Teck, Ph. D.
12/3/09 5
THE ART OF HANUKAH Brass, cast (glass cups missing). 10 7/8 x
18 in. (27.6 x 45.7 cm). Deinard Collection, Smithsonian
Institution, Washington, D.C. This lamps design reflects its origin
in an Islamic country The back wall is the faade of a domed
building on four pillars The scalloped arch provides a decorative
element The hamsa, or hand, relates in Hebrew and Arabic to the
number five It is a popular amuletic device to ward off evil The
hamsa is used five times on the lamp this increases its power
fivefold The inscription is from Genesis 49:22 and reads Joseph is
a fruitful vine This is a popular quote on amulets That is because
the second phrase of the verse is A fruitful vine by a fountain.
The word for both fountain and eye is ayin This text was thought to
afford good protection against the Evil eye 16. DAMASCENE HANUKKAH
LAMP-Damascene, Syria, 19th c. Berman, N. (1996). The Art of
Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Brass with copper and
silver inlay 111/2 x 13 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. (29.2 x 33.7 x 5.7 cm).
Judaica museum of Central synagogue, New York Islamic influence is
apparent in the keyhole shaped arches These are behind the oil
wells and in the backplate. The use of Damascene work is at its
high point in the 19th c. Jews in Arabic lands usually did this
kind of work Damascus Jews were metalworkers for many hundreds of
years They perfected a unique art form called Damascene ware It has
inlays of yellow copper, brass, and silver The surface of Damascene
objects is decorated with cursive lines calligraphy roundels
symbols imagery geometric patterns They used the horror vacuii
aesthetic of Islamic painting This bench-type lamp has a flattened
horizontal arched backplate Its openwork crown incorporates Islamic
stylistic features The border of Hebrew lettering accentuates the
outline of the lamp The six-pointed Star of David is applied to
repousse roundels This intensifies the reflected glow from the
candles in the holders Disparate ethnic Jewish communities
continued to use: Lions of Judah Ark Ten Commandments They used
these symbols for thousands of years this indicates the Jewish
ability to retain the beliefs and tradition They maintained Judaism
while living in many places 17. BAAL SHEM TOV HANUKKAH
LAMP--Germany, early 20th c. Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 6
THE ART OF HANUKAH Grossman, G. (1995). Jewish art. NY: Hugh
Lauter Levin Assoc., Inc. Silver, filigree, cast, die-stamped.
Engraved, parcel gilt. 14 x 12 7/8 x 5 1/4 in. (35.6 x 32.7 x 13.3
cm). Hebrew Union College, Skirball Museum, Los Angeles.
Kirschstein Collection. Tradition says that the Baal Shem Tov used
this type of lamp It was widely imitated in the Ukraine and Poland
The elaborate filigree lamp is architectural in form Onion-shaped
domes of E. Orthodox churches influenced it 18. HANUKKAH CHAIRS
LAMP--Germany, 20th c. Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah.
China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Pewter. 3 x 1 1/8 x 1 3/8 in. (7.6 x
2.9 x 3.5 cm). HUC, Skirball Museum, Los Angeles. Kirschstein
Collection Chair-shaped oil lamps is typical of fin-de-siecle
Austria & Germany They are reminiscent of the design of the
Vienna Secession The backs are inscribed with Hebrew words (Ner
Hanukkah) The words say that they are to be used exclusively for
the festival They may have been made for and used by children That
is based on the dollhouse quality of these chair lights They also
bring to mind small game pieces, such as dreidls Prof. Mordechai
Narkiss wrote this in his book The Hanukkah Lamp (Hebrew, 1939)
Prof. Narkiss son, Bezalel Narkiss explained the term Chanukiah It
is a word frequently used to describe the Hanukkah lamp Turn of the
20th century, there was a Judeo-Portuguese song The double ll
sounded like a y producing the popular term 19. HANUKKAH LAMP-Eretz
Yisrael or Yemen, e. 20th c. Grossman, G. (1995). Jewish art. NY:
Hugh Lauter Levin Assoc., Inc. Stone, carved/ 6 3/8 x 14 3/4 x 8
1/8 in. (16.2 x 14 3/4 x 8 1/8 in.) The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
This lamp is made of Jerusalem stone It depicts a two-storied
building surrounded by a wall There is a gabled structure on the
lower story It is similar in form to numerous depictions of Torah
arks It may appropriately serve as a reference to the Temple 20.
JUDAH THE MACCABEE HANUKKAH LAMP--Benno Elkan, 1956 Berman, N.
(1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Bronze,
cast. 26 1/4 x 31 in. (66.7 x 78.7 cm)). Spertus Museum, Chicago
Benno Elkan created this lamp with three-dimensional figures They
were cast in bronze and arranged in a classical composition They
tell the story of Judah the Maccabee Judah stands victorious on top
His brothers Jonathan (a philosopher) and Simeon (a king) are close
Two other brothers died in battle against the Syrians They are
draped at the bottom The Hebrew inscription from Exodus 15:11
emphasizes Gods power It brought victory to the brave Maccabees and
their followers The verse reads: Who is like You, O Lord, among the
might Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 7
THE ART OF HANUKAH Elkan was an important German sculptor who
fled Germany in 1933 He to live in England He did major public
sculptures on The theme of the ravages of war The price of freedom
England-Elkan made large-scale bronze candelabras in various sites
These included Westminster Abbey and Kings College in Cambridge
1945-British Parliament gave Elkans bronze menorah to the Knesset
It depicts events in the 5000+ year history of the Jewish people
21. MASADA HANUKKAH LAMP-Moshe Zabari, 1967. Berman, N. (1996). The
Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc. Silver, fabricated
and embossed; in three parts. 6 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. (17.1 x 29.3 cm).
HUC Collection, Skirball Museum, Los Angeles Gift of Lucy Hubbard
in honor of Jack H. Skirball Moshe Zabari designs and fabricates
Jewish ceremonial art He is a MELEKHET MABSHEVET That is a biblical
expression for skillful workmanship In Hebrew means maker of Jewish
ceremonial art Zabari develops new aesthetic and symbolic
approaches He captures the essence of an object of ritual
significance This lamp displays mountaintop shapes They emerge from
an undulating plane It is evocative of a low, hilly range
symbolizing Masada Zabari links the martyrdom of the Jewish zealots
as triumph That occurred at Masada in 73 C.E. He joins that to the
victory of Judah the Maccabee over the Syrians That incident
happened in 165 B.C.E. Both events signify Jewish refusal to
capitulate They would not bow to mighty oppressors even upon threat
of death The story of Masada grew in importance to modern Israelis
It became the symbol for Jewish resistance after the Holocaust It
was especially important in the era of modern Israeli statehood The
surface and structure of this lamp are totally undifferentiated
Ritual and meaning are enhanced by bent and hammered silver Its
irregular curves and turns imitate Masadas landscape They are
analogous to the reflecting, shining silver surfaces The luminosity
and energy are similar to the fire of the lights 22. HANUKKAH
LAMP-Zelig Segal, Jerusalem, Israel, 1984 Berman, N. (1996). The
Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Aluminum, laminated,
painted, and kiln-fired 7 1/2 x 14 in. (19 x 36 cm) Collection of
Mark and Peachy Levy, Los Angeles Zelig Segals design increases the
opportunity for interaction The person lighting the lamp is
performing the ritual Both a physical act and a spiritual purpose
are combined Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 8
THE ART OF HANUKAH The four pieces can be literally taken apart
and recombined There are numerous composition and artistic formats
They are dependent upon ones mood or preference The lamp comes with
4 separate bases, candleholders, and tops Each piece can be used as
a separate lamp In the spirit of the holiday, one lamp can equal
four lamps Segals lamp gives added dimension to the Hanukkah
celebration Putting together a puzzle piece menorah reflects games
and joy Both of these are associated with the conviviality of the
holiday the lamps 4 levels represent the artists view of the Jewish
nation That is, Judaism continually rebuilds itself That is to
perpetuate continuation of the people and the religion Segal was
born and raised in Israel He is a supporter of the Zionist approval
of the Maccabean victory He equates contemporary Zionists with the
Maccabees That is in their struggles against great odds for
national freedom Shield-like shape has the force and military
spirit of Jewish victor The range is from Judah the Maccabee to
modern-day heroes 23. HANDBUILT STONEWARE LAMP-Otto Natzler, 1985
Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin,
Inc Ceramic, celadon reduction glaze with sang and orange 13 1/2 x
18 x 1 3/4 in. (34.3 x 45.7 x 4.4 cm) HUC Collection, Skirball
Museum, Los Angeles Museum purchase with funds from Audrey and
Arthur N. Greenberg this Hanukkah lamp displays a modernist form It
has a solid simplicity and proud spirit It evokes the historical
triumph Jews celebrate on this holiday Natzler and his wife,
Gertrud, immigrated to America in 1939 They escaped Nazi-ruled
Vienna, where they were born and married This is where they began
four decades of collaboration They are among the great ceramists of
the 20th century Gertrud threw forms on the potters wheel Otto
developed ceramic glazing to a high art form After Gertrud died,
Otto made hand-built work He found a new sculptural direction in
his work The subtle and ever changing glazed surface is a mystery
It adds to the spiritual quality of the lamps ritual function
Natzlers work has a purist integrity It is devoid of extraneous
decorative or symbolic elements He laid string on wet clay to make
the spirals on the surface Design is reminiscent of Ionic capitals
of classic Greek architecture That was omnipresent in ancient
Israel during the Maccabean revolt A blood-red glaze flows down
from the candleholders It may refer to the casualties that were the
painful price for victory The quietude and purity of the celadon
covers most of the surface It gives the lamp a peacefulness and
strength It seems to express hope for continued vitality of the
Jewish people. Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 9
THE ART OF HANUKAH 24. STATUE OF LIBERTY HANUKKAH
LAMP---Manfred Anson, 1986 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah.
China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Brass, cast, engraved. 23 x 16 1/2 x
7 (Diam. Base) in. (58.4 x 41.9 x 17.8 (Diam. Base) cm) Engraved
signature on back of shammash statue HUC Collection, Skirball
Museum, Los Angeles Museum purchase with funds provided by Peachy
and Mark Levy Manfred Anson escaped Nazi Germany He found safe
refuge in Australia Eventually, he immigrating to America the
Maccabees victory with democratic America ideals are equated The
Constitution gives religious freedom to all the nations people The
candleholders were cast from an original 19th century souvenir It
is a modern interpretation of an age-old practice Jewish ceremonial
art includes national emblems This is a classic work of outsider or
folk art This lamp combines found objects and adapts them The brass
Hanukkah lamp is a cast of a 100-year-old Polish menorah The artist
added the two outer arms and the service light in front Miss
Liberty statuettes were modified to hold the Hanukkah candles This
reinforced the analogy between: the torch of freedom Hanukkahs
allusion to the light of life The inscriptions, dated by the
artist, allude to many moments in Jewish history: Exodus from Egypt
Babylonian Exile 597-538 BCE Judah Maccabee 168 BCE Two Revolts
Against Rome 69-79 C.E. 132-135 C. Galut Herzl Zionist congress
Basel Holocaust 1939-1945 Israel 1948; under the shammash figurine,
1886-1986 dates commemorating the centennial of the Statue of
Liberty. 25. LOS ANGELES HANUKKAH LAMP-Peter Shire, 1986. Berman,
N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc.
Anodized, painted, and chromed steel. 21 x 24 1/2 in. (53.3 x 61.5
cm). HUCCollection, Skirball Museum. Museum purchase with funds
from Judy and Marvin Zeidler This is the first Hanukkah lamp that
Peter Shire ever created He is world-renowned sculptor, ceramist,
and furniture designer He researched the Skirball Museums
collection first Then he created 8 large-scale, hand-wrought,
innovative lamps They extend the Jewish ceremonial art form into
the postmodern era Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 10
THE ART OF HANUKAH Shire was active in Memphis, Tennessee in
the 1980s He was part of the Italian design movement This approach
rejected a clean, spare, functional aesthetic That approach
predominated during the postwar years Shires notion of art is based
on a sense of adventure Its aesthetic is conveyed through bold
color, form, and pattern This lamp includes fantasy, ephemera, and
the transience of life Shire calls this a California Hanukkah Lamp
That is, because it is about the Jewish people who live there The
piece exudes free-form design, style, architecture, and humor It
reflects the diverse and casual character of life in Los Angeles
Its geometry of shapes and colors display the Spanish-style homes
Pacific beaches jagged street patterns It also contains allusions
to the metallic presence That is the prevalence of the automobile
and motorcycle These are especially abundant in the urban So.
California landscape Adventuresome wit and poetic spirituality make
this lamp elegant The machine aesthetic belies its carefully
handcrafted origin This non-traditional is true to the criteria of
ancient Jewish sages They required places for all eight lights to
be on a single plane In addition, the shammash (or servitor light)
had to be elevated 26. ARCHITECTURAL HANUKKAH LAMP-Richard Meier,
1990 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter
Levin, Inc Tin. 12 1/4 x 13 3/4 x 2 in. (31.1 x 34.9 x 5.1 cm). HUC
Collection, Skirball Museum, Lost Angeles Museum purchase with
funds from Audrey and Arthur N. Greenberg 1985-Architect Richard
Meier created this Hanukkah lamp It was for the exhibition -Nerot
Mitzvah/The Lights of Jewish Ritual) The Israel Museum organized
this exhibition in Jerusalem Many were invited to design new forms
of Jewish ceremonial lights Included were Architects, designers,
and ceremonial artists The only criterion was adherence to
traditional Jewish law Meiers lamp commemorates the long sweep of
Jewish history Its colonnade of architectonic candleholders
captures time/place This is done through aesthetic and stylistic
characteristics Each holder identifies when Jews either thrived or
suffered From left to right: Egypt (Slavery) Rome (Hadrians Victory
Column) England, 1290 (Expulsion); France, 1310 (Expulsion) Spain,
1492 (Expulsion) Vienna, 1890 (Herzl) Russia, 1880-1903 (Pogroms)
Germany, 1933 (Holocaust) Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 11
THE ART OF HANUKAH The lamp is a visual commentary on the
relevance of the Maccabees It empowers the ritual kindling of the
Hanukkah lights Resisting repression needs to be learned by every
generation This was in order to preserve human values and the
ideals of peace That is the harmony embodied in the Torah Richard
Meier is a proponent of minimalism He used this aesthetic in The
High Museum in Atlanta The Museum for Decorative Arts in Frankfurt
am Main The Getty Center in Los Angeles The lamps simplicity
communicates its aesthetic power It comes from over 4000 years of
Jewish experience Shammash towers in perfect geometry, rising high
above the lights This is in keeping with an even row, as prescribed
by the Halakah It reflects the ideals of the future in the
universal world to come 27. TEMPLE HANUKKAH LAMP-Bella Feldman,
1993 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter
Levin, Inc Silver-plated steel 29 x 35 1/4 x 12 in. (73.7 x 89.5 x
30.5 cm) Collection of Robert and Sandra Carroll The artist states:
This large and massive menorah is intended to be permanently
displayed as both a historical symbol and an evocative sculpture
The forms signify a Temple of monumental power and sacred ritual
Spiritualized shapes conjure up the meeting between God and humans
A sword-blade curve and insurmountable incline toward the Temple
The shield like larger form adds the connotation of military force
It is a simile for Maccabees, who fought to restore religious
freedom The transcendent idea is the miracle of the light burning
for 8 days The shammash appears as a Temple guard or torch It
heralds a staircase ascending mysteriously to the high, holy level
That is the place of the ritual of the Hanukkah festival The spaces
for the candles exist behind shutters They are to be kept closed
throughout the year On each day of Hanukkah, another shutter is
opened Thus, they reveal the number of candles appropriate to the
day The closed ones indicate the days of the holiday left to
celebrate 1991-Bella Feldman won one of four honorable mentions
That was in the prestigious competition for the Spertus Judaica
Prize Phil and Sylvia Spertus of the Spertus Museum sponsor this
award This Hanukkah lamp has a distilled spiritual presence It
possesses a dignity of honor and hope in the struggle for freedom
28. HANUKAH LAMP -Kerry Feldman, Breckenridge, Colorado, 1995
Berman, N. (1996). The Art of Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin,
Inc Aluminum, hand-blown glass, and rose quartz. 12 x 20 x 3
in(30.5 x 7.6 cm) Collection of the artist Myrna Teck, Ph. D.
12/3/09 12
THE ART OF HANUKAH Glass artist Kerry Feldman made many Judaica
objects These include a Passover Seder plate It is in the
collection of the Jewish Museum in New York It is also in the
Skirball Museum in Los Angeles He has extensive knowledge of
rabbinic precepts It requires that the lights be ordered and on the
same level The shammash is elevated above the sanctified lights The
15th c. Rothschild miscellany manuscript shows a similar lamp It is
elevated high upon a pedestal Glass is a fluid and flexible medium
in its molten state This contrasts to the rigidity of the material
once cooled Similarly, the swaying candleholders are soft and
undulating They are bold in their cobalt blue color They are soft
in their transparency The rose quartz candle receptacles crown the
vertical forms They accent the energetic movement of the elements
Many subtle Jewish interpretations in this lamp provide intrigue
For example, the candleholders are metaphoric candles They display
flickering whimsical surface decoration It is from gold and
brightly colored glass pictographs and squiggles they seem to burn
even when unlit Their rigid formation suggests a full-dress
military victory parade It is an allusion to the successful
rebellion of the Maccabees The lineup of light forms connotes the
continuum of Jewish history It also refers to the continuity of the
celebration of Hanukkah This lamp combines: The beauty of the
material Its color The interpretive depth vested in it A balance of
humor and seriousness It exhibits a spirit of joy and also a
special hope That desire is proclaimed in a favorite contemporary
Hanukkah song Dont let the light go out! 29. THE LAMP THAT BURNED
ON-Ginny Ruffner, Seattle, 1995. Berman, N. (1996). The Art of
Hanukkah. China: Hugh Lauter Levin, Inc Glass and mixed media. 7
1/2 in. x 17 s 8 1/2 in. (19 x 43.2 x 20.3 cm). Collection of the
Reichman Family. Form and function are foremost in this innovative
Hanukkah lamp Its exotic form alludes to Aladdin and his magic lamp
Rubbing the magic lamp brought Aladdin all he could wish for
Lighting this lamp recalls Gods miraculous answer That is to the
Jewish peoples wish for religious freedom Its light continues to
burn on It gives hope for the triumph of light over darkness This
work was created for A Hanukkah Menorah Invitational It was
sponsored by the Jewish Museum, San Francisco Artists were invited
to create a Hanukkah lamp in their own image Myrna Teck, Ph. D.
12/3/09 13
THE ART OF HANUKAH Glass artist and sculptor Ginny Ruffners
work is included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art the American
Craft Museum private collections public art spaces A friend
inspired the artist to create this unique Hanukkah lamp She
recounted the story of the miracle of Hanukkah Imbuing the lamp
with the mystery of the miracle Luminescent glass, sparkling gold,
and jewel-tone blues enhance it Ruffner said she wanted to create a
lamp whose lights appear to be on the end of the plumes of smoke
coming out of it The form combines religious tradition, folk
stories, and pop culture Jewish art forms have always had traces of
the mainstream culture This enlivens and enriches Jewish art and
the art of celebration 30. HANUKKAH LAMP-Leo Lionni, 1985 Gaon
& Zipkin (1986). Nerot Mitzvah, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Glass, fabric ribbons. 24 x 26 x 10 cm The poetry of the ritual act
obsesses Lionni from the beginning Thats what motivated him to
design this lamp He wanted active participation on the part of the
user Either in the process of making, or at least decorating it
Participation would be more religiously/poetically meaningful This
lamp is simple and modest in its scale and stylistic conception Leo
Lionni was born in 1910 in Amsterdam He received a Ph. D. in
economics from the University of Genoa He then opened a studio in
Milan In the 1940s he taught at Black Mountain College in North
Carolina Later, he organized the Design Dept at Parsons School of
Design, NY 1982-85: he taught at Cooper Union in New York City He
has exhibited at the MoMA in NY and the Venice Biennale 31. THE JOY
OF HANUKAH-Michel Schwartz, 1986 Berman, N. (1996). The Art of
Hanukkah. New York: Hugh Lauter Levin Calligraphic painting.
Collection of the artist Myrna Teck, Ph. D. 12/3/09 14