Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp

Gaspare Vanneschi Italian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 551

This rare and sumptuous silver lamp was commissioned by the wealthy Baraffael family in Rome. Their crest, a rooster grasping a stalk of wheat, is embossed near the top. A tipped oil jug and a lit nine-stem candelabrum known as a hanukiah suggest the lamp’s use during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The bees circling the jug are a moving tribute to one of the family members, Deborah (Hebrew for "bee"), who died in 1763.

Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi (Italian, active Rome, 1758–1787), Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome

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Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi (Italian, active Rome, 1758–1787), Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome
Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi (Italian, active Rome, 1758–1787), Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome
Baraffael Family Hanukkah Lamp, Gaspare Vanneschi (Italian, active Rome, 1758–1787), Silver, embossed, engraved, punched; soft wood back support, Italian, Rome

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