Hanukkah Lamp

Pieter van Hoven

1705

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Oil lamp stamped with crown and foliage with eight cups on bottom. — This silver Hanukkah lamp, made in Amsterdam by the master silversmith Pieter van Hoven, sits on six claw legs and is decorated with intricate leaf and floral patterns. Its front side is further adorned with a crown, beneath which is an inscription in Hebrew, “the lamp of the commandment” (Proverbs 6:23), typical of similar lamps from the time. Many of van Hoven’s Jewish ceremonial objects have survived.

Credits

Collection Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam, M002003.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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Creator Bio

Pieter van Hoven

1653–1735

Silversmith Pieter van Hoven was born in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He produced many ceremonial objects for the Jewish community of Amsterdam in the early eighteenth century.

Details

Public Access

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