Candelabra
maker
Unknown
Date15th century - 16th century
Place MadePoland, Europe
MediumBrass
Dimensions47 cm (18 1/2 in.) height
ClassificationsLighting Devices
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberM30s19
eMuseum ID731070
EmbARK ObjectID12869
Previous NumberM30s19.1
Original NumberM30s19-s
TMS Source ID1924
Last Updated8/14/24
Status
Not on viewWeb Commentary
This candlestick (along with M30s21) is one of the few pieces of Judaica in the collection. It features an imperial eagle—a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, suggesting an origin in Poland or Prussia. In the Jewish faith, candles are lit on Friday night to usher in Shabbat, a day of rest, and a blessing is recited.
Isabella was fascinated by the material culture of different religions, above all Christianity but also Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. They attest to her wide-ranging interests and all-embracing cultural outlook.
BibliographyNotesArt Exhibition: Mrs. John L. Gardner, 152 Beacon St., Boston. Exh. cat. (Boston, 1899), p. 5, no. 13.
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 267. (as probably German)
“Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 6, no. 31 (31 Mar. 1963), p. 2. (as Polish, about 1800)
Nathaniel Silver, "Shabbat Candlesticks: Judaica in the Gothic Room," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 May 2021, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/shabbat-candlesticks-judaica-gothic-room
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 267. (as probably German)
“Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 6, no. 31 (31 Mar. 1963), p. 2. (as Polish, about 1800)
Nathaniel Silver, "Shabbat Candlesticks: Judaica in the Gothic Room," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 May 2021, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/shabbat-candlesticks-judaica-gothic-room
ProvenanceNotesEntered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection by 1900.
