Object details
Object number
M30s21
Creator(s)
Polish
Title
Candelabra
Date
15th century - 16th century
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
47 cm (18 1/2 in.) height
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings
Inscribed in Hebrew (front right deer): Le-hadlik (to light)
Inscribed in Hebrew (front left deer): Ner ([the] candle)
Inscribed in Hebrew (back right deer): Shel (of)
Inscribed in Hebrew (back left deer): Shabbat ([the] Sabbath)
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection by 1900.
Commentary
This candlestick (along with M30s19) is one of the few pieces of Judaica in the collection. It features an imperial eagle—a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, suggesting an origin in Poland or Prussia. In fact, a metal customs stamp indicates that at some point they passed through Hamburg, formerly part of Prussia. The deer present a clue to their ceremonial purpose—an inscription in Hebrew which reads “To light the candle of the Sabbath.” In the Jewish faith, candles are lit on Friday night to usher in Shabbat, a day of rest, and a blessing is recited.
Isabella was fascinated by the material culture of different religions, above all Christianity but also Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. They attest to her wide-ranging interests and all-embracing cultural outlook.
Bibliography
Art Exhibition: Mrs. John L. Gardner, 152 Beacon St., Boston. Exh. cat. (Boston, 1899), p. 5, no. 13.
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 267. (as probably German)
“Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 6, no. 31 (31 Mar. 1963), p. 2. (as Polish, about 1800)
Nathaniel Silver, "Shabbat Candlesticks: Judaica in the Gothic Room," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 May 2021, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/shabbat-candlesticks-judaica-gothic-room
Gallery
Gothic Room
Rights and reproductions
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