AUSTRIAN SILVER MENORAH.

Vienna, c. 1905 (and after 1922)

Eight candle holders set on wide, C-scroll swags which rest upon a flame-like central knob, which in turn is set on a hexagonal joint adorned with acanthus leaves - a motif repeated along rim of the substantial, circular, fluted base. Detachable servant light. Marked: Alexander Sturm. 9 x 10 inches.

Likely a hybrid piece composed of two elements. The round base and central knob are marked by Alexander Sturm, active in Vienna 1886-1922. (Although his mark was apparently used through 1922, according to some sources, Sturm died in September of 1915). Sturm inherited his father-in-law silversmith Vincenz Carl Dub’s flatware and hollowware production company which was then known as the “Silberwarenfabrik Alexander Sturm.” The lower element of this Menorah could perhaps have served as an ornate lid of Sturm tableware. The upper portion which comprises the Menorah is marked on each of the nine candle holders and servant light support with the Austrian toucan hallmark used from 1922, a slightly later date than the Sturm piece. An imaginative and resourceful silversmith likely attached the two elements creating an inventive and unique Menorah. This theory also explains the seemingly confusing double mark of Sturm and the toucan at the Menorah’s base.