Judeo-Persian bronze Shabbat lamp

This suspended oil lamp serves for the ritual illumination of Shabbat: it is lit before the onset of the holy day, then hoisted toward the ceiling by means of a suspension rod. The Judeo-Persian type is characterized by a star-shaped reservoir with several branches, each bearing a spout and a wick, surmounted by a rod and a suspension mechanism sometimes fitted with a counterweight. Cast or hammered in bronze or brass, these lamps continue a tradition of suspended lighting specific to Jewish households in Iran. Their radiating form recalls that of other Shabbat lamps, such as the star-shaped lamp of the Ashkenazic world.