Silver Eternal Lamp (Ner Tamid) from the Ottoman Empire
נר תמיד מכסף מהאימפריה העות'מאנית
Description
Hanging lamp burning permanently before the holy ark, symbol of the Temple's flame. Ottoman silversmiths worked it in repoussé and pierced silver, shaped as an ornate vase or bowl carried by three or four chains joined at a suspension rosette. The floating-oil reservoir gives a continuous light; a dedicatory inscription is often engraved upon it.