HANGING SILVER SABBATH LAMP. Minsk, 1879.

A hanging lamp consisting of, from the top: hinged suspension hook above ball, from which descends baluster form shaft terminating in ball, from which hangs two-tiered round section with five arms with wick guides; concave base with loop from which two tiered drip cup with cast finial base is suspended by large hook. Overall embossed floral decoration; edges of arms crenellated. Marked on shaft, between arms, on drip cup, and on finial. H: 477mm.

This is an unusual example of a “Judenstern,” a type of Sabbath lamp found in German homes. This object celebrates the international nature of the Jewish community; a German family living in Minsk would have commissioned a local silversmith to re-create a familar object whose decorative elements would reflect the prevalent style of their new environment.