Ceramic oil Hanukkah lamp from Jerusalem (Armenian ware)

This Hanukkah lamp features a back-plate composed of painted faience tiles in the style known as Jerusalem Armenian ceramics, a tradition introduced to the city in the early twentieth century. Lit over the eight evenings of the festival, the hanukkiah comprises eight aligned lights and a shamash used to kindle them, here arranged on an enameled panel. The decoration combines the oriental floral motifs characteristic of this ceramic ware with Jewish symbols specific to the festival, in an aesthetic synthesis particular to modern Jerusalem. The object illustrates the encounter between Near Eastern craft traditions and the renewal of Jewish arts.