Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art

Jan 27, 2026

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Lot 269 Silver Memorial Lamp from Baghdad’s Midrash Bet Zilkha Synagogue, Iraq – 19th Century – Ades Family

Suspended memorial lamp for synagogue. [Baghdad, Iraq, second half of 19th century].

Silver, cast, pierced, and engraved

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Silver Memorial Lamp from Baghdad’s Midrash Bet Zilkha Synagogue, Iraq – 19th Century – Ades Family

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $400

Sold for: $8,125

Including buyer's premium

Suspended memorial lamp for synagogue. [Baghdad, Iraq, second half of 19th century].

Silver, cast, pierced, and engraved (unmarked).

Memorial lamp consisting of three principal parts:

1. At the top, a dome-shaped cap, surmounted by a round suspension hook, and with ornamental pendants suspended from its perimeter.

2. A central component in the form of a flattened sphere, with a dome-like top and a conical ornament on the bottom. This part is encircled by a silver hoop; to this, three large hooks are attached, anchoring lengthy chains that connect the central and upper components. Also attached to the hoop, by means of ornamental tendril-like branches, are nine candle sockets positioned in the centers of shallow bowls with undulating perimeters.

3. A cone-like weight, suspended from the end of a chain.

A dedicatory inscription is engraved onto the central component, dedicating the lamp "…to the ascent of the soul of Rachel daughter of Regina Ades, passed away in the year 5634 [1873-1874], to the Synagogue of Bet Zilkha" (the memorial lamp may well have been donated to the synagogue later than 1874).

Midrash Bet Zilkha Synagogue, named after the wealthy patron Ezra Zilkha, was functional from the mid-19th through mid-20th century and was widely regarded as Baghdad’s main Jewish house of worship.

Height: Approx. 80 cm. Maximal width: 40 cm. Overall good condition. Ornament missing (broken off) from top of central component. Holes in candle sockets, supporting bowls, and weights, probably resulting from old wiring.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 270 Silver Hanging Lamp, for Synagogue – France, First Half of 19th Century

Hanging lamp ("Ner Tamid") for synagogue. France, ca. 1819-38.

Silver, cast, repoussé, and pierced (mar

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Silver Hanging Lamp, for Synagogue – France, First Half of 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $800

Sold for: $4,000

Including buyer's premium

Hanging lamp ("Ner Tamid") for synagogue. France, ca. 1819-38.

Silver, cast, repoussé, and pierced (marked with French quality marks, in use 1819-1838; and with unidentified maker’s mark).

Hanging lamp consisting of three parts: an upper, dome-shaped cap-like hanging device, surmounted by a suspension ring; a large lid with pierced openings, through which the light is meant to shine; and a large, bowl-shaped base, serving as a lighting cup or candle holder, with a downward-tapering ornament on the bottom.

The large lid is adorned in vegetal patterns and is attached to the upper dome-shaped cap / hanging device by three long chains. The lid is fastened to the base by means of three long pins inserted into small dedicated holes. The lid is adorned with three ornaments depicting vessels or accoutrements associated with the Great Temple: the priestly miter, the seven-branched Menorah, and an incense burner; these ornaments may have been added later, in place of other, earlier openings. The base is adorned with rich vegetal patterns matching those on the lid.

Height: 90 cm. Maximal width: 13 cm. Overall good condition. Minor fractures and warping. Small hole to upper ornament of lid; may have originally been made for attachment of additional suspension ring, or may have once served for a different upper hanging device.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 271 Large Synagogue Memorial Lamp – Product of Demarquet Frères – Paris, Late 19th Century / Dedicatory Inscription of Ben Jo (Benjo) Family, Probably Morocco

Memorial lamp to be hung in a synagogue, created by Demarquet Frères. [Paris, France, 1868-1890], dedicatory inscrip

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Large Synagogue Memorial Lamp – Product of Demarquet Frères – Paris, Late 19th Century / Dedicatory Inscription of Ben Jo (Benjo) Family, Probably Morocco

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $1,000

Sold for: $11,250

Including buyer's premium

Memorial lamp to be hung in a synagogue, created by Demarquet Frères. [Paris, France, 1868-1890], dedicatory inscription, probably Morocco, [early 20th century].

Cast silver, repoussé, stamped and engraved (marked with French fineness mark, in use from 1838, and maker’s mark).

Exceptionally large, splendid memorial lamp, adorned with rich vegetal patterns. Three large decorative suspension fixtures are attached with screws to the sides of the body (no suspension chain). A bud-shaped ornament with a large silver ring protrudes from the bottom.

An inscription (in Hebrew; probably added later, during the early 20th century) is engraved on the lower surface of the lamp, dedicating it to Rachel, wife of Moshe Ben Jo. The name Ben Jo (Benjo) is a common Jewish surname in Morocco, and rabbis of this family served as members of the rabbinate of Tangiers in northern Morocco.

The Hebrew title "ha-pakid ha-ne’eman" appearing in the dedication (lit. "the loyal official") also appears often in dedicatory inscriptions representing the Jewish community of Morocco, where the "gabai" (synagogue manager) of a congregation was referred to as a "pakid"; in the prayer "Mi SheBerach" recited on Sabbaths and holidays, such an individual is specifically referred to as "hapakid hane’eman".

Demarquet Frères produce operated in Paris in the second half of the 19th century, and was particularly well-known for creating silver church vessels. The firm was also noted for having made a number of objects of Judaica, including a pair of Torah finials and a Torah pointer (see: Sotheby’s, December 2022, Lot Nos. 47, 207).

Height: 52 cm. Maximal width: 32 cm. Overall good condition. Slight warping. Several open fractures to upper ornaments. Small holes to medial area, adjacent to rim. (Glass?) candle-lighting cup missing.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 272 Five Silver Hanging Memorial Lamps – Gibraltar, 19th Century

Five hanging memorial lamps for the synagogue. [Gibraltar], 19th century.

Silver, cast, cut and pierced, repoussé

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Five Silver Hanging Memorial Lamps – Gibraltar, 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $1,000

Sold for: $7,500

Including buyer's premium

Five hanging memorial lamps for the synagogue. [Gibraltar], 19th century.

Silver, cast, cut and pierced, repoussé and engraved (two of them marked).

1. Memorial lamp with large upper dome-shaped cap-like hanging device, to which the main hoop-shaped lamp – upon which a dedicatory inscription is engraved – is attached by means of four silver chains. Inscription (Hebrew): "Gift of the honorable woman, Hannah dedicated to the rest of her dear and distinguished husband, Khalfon Izirad ... departed to eternal rest [on] Wednesday Rosh Chodesh Shevat Year 5599 [1839]…". Silver marks on hanging device.

2. Memorial lamp with upper dome-shaped cap-like hanging device, to which the main hoop-shaped lamp – upon which a dedicatory inscription is engraved – is attached by means of four long, thick silver chains. Inscription (Hebrew): "Dedicated to the Almighty, to the rest of God-fearing woman, Madam Rachel Pariente ... donated by her daughter, Esther HaLevi … Year [5615 = 1855]".

3. Memorial lamp. Includes central hoop (lamp) to which four thick silver chains are attached (upper hanging device missing). Engraved dedicatory inscription (Hebrew): "Gift to the memory of Esther wife of … R. Ya’akov HaLevi … departed to eternal rest [on the] 20th of Tevet 5624 [1863]".

4. Memorial lamp with upper dome-shaped cap-like hanging device, to which the main hoop-shaped lamp is attached by means of three silver chains. Both the hanging device and main hoop-shaped lamp are marked with the silversmith’s maker’s marks, representing Thoman Smily, London, 1865. Dedicatory inscription (Hebrew) engraved on central hoop (lamp): "The little girl Rachel bat Yitzhak ben Uliel, died 26th of Iyyar Year 5625 [1865] …".

5. Memorial lamp. Includes central hoop (lamp) to which four silver chains are attached (upper hanging device missing). Engraved dedicatory inscription (Hebrew): "... R. Yehoshu’a HaLevi bar Pauloma of blessed memory".

Varying sizes and condition. Overall good condition. Upper hanging device missing from two lamps.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 273 Silver Memorial Lamp for Esther Assoudri – Morocco

Memorial lamp. Morocco, post-1925.

Silver, cut, pierced and engraved (marked with Moroccan fineness marks, in use since

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Silver Memorial Lamp for Esther Assoudri – Morocco

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $500

Sold for: $2,250

Including buyer's premium

Memorial lamp. Morocco, post-1925.

Silver, cut, pierced and engraved (marked with Moroccan fineness marks, in use since October 1925); chased work; sheet metal, cut.

Memorial lamp with arched backplate, decorated with vegetal patterns and a seven-branched menorah. Dedicatory inscription for Esther Assoudri is pierced at top. Two oil cups with pinched spouts at bottom; beneath them, a drip tray with undulating front. Low side panels, decorated with matching pattern. Thin metal sheet affixed to back.

Height: 27 cm, Width: 17 cm, Depth: 8 cm. Overall good condition. Some bends and minor breaks; break to one side wall. Some rust to metal sheet. Old soldering repairs. Some original pins and connecting rods missing or replaced with makeshift joints.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 274 Large Silver Synagogue Memorial Lamp – Morocco, 1938 – Decorated in Art Deco Style

Suspended memorial lamp for synagogue. Morocco, 5698 [1938].

Silver, cast, pierced, and engraved (marked with Moroccan f

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Large Silver Synagogue Memorial Lamp – Morocco, 1938 – Decorated in Art Deco Style

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $800

Sold for: $11,875

Including buyer's premium

Suspended memorial lamp for synagogue. Morocco, 5698 [1938].

Silver, cast, pierced, and engraved (marked with Moroccan fineness mark, in use beginning October 1925).

Large memorial lamp for hanging in a synagogue, consisting of three main parts:

1. An upper segment, surmounted by a suspension ring.

2. A broad central ring with a pierced dedicatory inscription.

3. A slightly concave base segment, meant to support the glass oil cup (glass cup missing).

Five large silver ornaments – geometrically patterned in Art Deco style – are attached with rivets to the upper ring and to the base. Five thick chains composed of large silver links are suspended from the upper segment and connect it to the tops of the Art Deco ornaments. A dedicatory inscription (Hebrew) is pierced onto the central ring: "Lamp dedicated to… David HaKohen who passed away on the 24th of Nisan 5698 … [1938], may his soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life" (the Hebrew abbreviation for "may his soul…" is engraved and not pierced).

The upper segment and base segment are also pierced with matching geometric patterns.

Height: Approx. 100 cm. Maximal width: 29 cm. Good condition. Missing glass cup.

Category

Synagogue Lamps

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Lot 275 Hanukkah Lamp in an Early Architectonic Design – Italy, 18th or 19th Century

Hanukkah lamp, architectonic model. [Italy, 18th or 19th century].

Cast brass.

Hanukkah lamp with openwork back plate

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Hanukkah Lamp in an Early Architectonic Design – Italy, 18th or 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $800

Sold for: $2,750

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp, architectonic model. [Italy, 18th or 19th century].

Cast brass.

Hanukkah lamp with openwork back plate and side panels, representing an early, uncommon design. The back plate is in the form of a low fence with ten stylized columns, and with a thin horizontal strip near the top, connecting all the columns. The columns at the left and right extremities are wider than the rest; each has a pair of apertures through which the side panels – matching the back plate – are attached. The row of round oil fonts, with long, pinched, pointed spouts for the wicks, is attached to the bottom of the back plate by means of a pair of pins. Removable, matching servant light attached at left to top of back plate with small hook.

This item belongs to a group of Italian Hanukkah lamps dating from the 16th or 17th century in which the back plate is designed in architectonic style and usually modeled after Italian city walls, palaces, and other monumental buildings and structures built in the Baroque style of the Renaissance period. This particular type of back plate, typically spreading widthwise, replaced the triangular back plates characteristic of the Hanukkah lamps inspired by the Gothic art of the Middle Ages that preceded this period (especially in Spain and Italy, but in other countries as well).

A similar Hanukkah lamp is documented by Mordechai Narkiss in his seminal work "The Hanukkah Lamp" (Item No. 44; see below), but Narkiss’s lamp includes an additional panel and ornament above the gate, and lacks side panels. Another similar Hanukkah lamp appears in the Magnes Collection, Berkeley (Item No. 67.1.4.13, formerly of the Strauss Collection), but this one also lacks side panels.

Height: 7.5 cm. Width: 25.5 cm. Depth: 6 cm. Overall good condition. Minor blemishes. One oil font with spout bent sideways. Fractures and old soldering repairs to row of oil fonts. Pins connecting row of oil fonts to back plate missing. Side panels attached by means of more recent soldering.

For comparison, see: Mordechai Narkiss, The Hanukkah Lamp, Bnei Bezalel, Jerusalem, 1939 (Hebrew with English summary), Item No. 44; and Ruth Eis, Hanukkah Lamps of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, California, 1977, Item No. MC 7.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

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Lot 276 Gate-Shaped Hanukkah Lamp – Italy, 19th Century

Hanukkah lamp. [Italy, probably first half of the 19th century].

Cast brass; brass sheet.

Hanukkah lamp meant to be h

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Gate-Shaped Hanukkah Lamp – Italy, 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $500

Sold for: $1,875

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp. [Italy, probably first half of the 19th century].

Cast brass; brass sheet.

Hanukkah lamp meant to be hung on a wall. Made of a plate of sheet brass, to which ornaments made of cast brass – a large arch and a pair of architectonic columns – are screwed on. The row of rectangular oil fonts, with long, pinched, pointed spouts for the wicks, is attached to the bottom of the back plate and serves as the base for the lamp. Five of the oil fonts have special accessories for the wicks. No servant light.

Height: 31.5 cm. Width: 21.5 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes to back. Three oil fonts lack special accessories for the wicks.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

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Lot 277 Brass Hanukkah Lamp – Italy, 19th Century

Hanukkah lamp. [Italy, 19th century].

Cast brass.

Openwork back plate with large openings and stylized arches, border

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Brass Hanukkah Lamp – Italy, 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $500

Sold for: $3,250

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp. [Italy, 19th century].

Cast brass.

Openwork back plate with large openings and stylized arches, bordered on either side with tall architectonic columns. At center, an additional column-shaped ornament, with the servant light attached just above it, and a fleur-de-lis beneath it. Row of oil fonts, with long, pinched, pointed spouts for the wicks, is attached to the base with protruding pins.

Height: 27 cm. Width: 28.5 cm. Depth: 8.5 cm. Good condition. Pins attaching row of oil fonts and servant light to lamp not original. Servant light may also not be original.

For comparison, see: Mordechai Narkiss, The Hanukkah Lamp, Bnei Bezalel, Jerusalem, 1939 (Hebrew with English summary), Item No. 133.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

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Lot 278 Silver Hanukkah Lamp Surmounted by Eagle, created by Weichesmüller – Vienna, 19th Century

Hanukkah lamp. Vienna, second half of the 19th century.

Silver, repoussé and stamped (marked with Austro-Hungari

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Silver Hanukkah Lamp Surmounted by Eagle, created by Weichesmüller – Vienna, 19th Century

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $600

Sold for: $2,250

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp. Vienna, second half of the 19th century.

Silver, repoussé and stamped (marked with Austro-Hungarian quality marks, in use from 1872, and with maker’s mark, "KW" = Karl Weichesmüller, active 1870-1893).

At the top of the back plate is a large eagle, perched on a lintel draped in curtains drawn together with cords with tassels. At the center of the back plate are the Two Tablets of the Law (blank, unlabeled) flanked and grasped on either side by a pair of langued, rampant lions. The removable row of oil fonts is placed on top of a rectangular platform with a trough beneath it, in place of a drip pan. No servant light.

Height: 22 cm. Width: 24 cm. Depth: 7 cm. Overall good condition. Slight fractures and warping. Several old soldering repairs on back. Slight corrosion. Servant light missing, probably because its holder is missing. Thin silver bar soldered onto tops of oil fonts (but missing from three of them) to support the wicks. Fracture and warping to rightmost oil font.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

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Lot 279 Erect Silver Hanukkah Lamp – Germany

Hanukkah lamp. [Germany, probably early decades of 20th century].

Silver, turned, stamped, and soldered (marked with Ger

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $300

Sold for: $2,125

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp. [Germany, probably early decades of 20th century].

Silver, turned, stamped, and soldered (marked with German quality marks, and with unidentified maker’s mark).

Erect Hanukkah lamp, supported on round base. A flame-shaped ornament surmounts the central shaft. Arms and (removable) servant light adorned with rows of delicate leaf-shaped ornaments.

Height: 30 cm. Width: 29.5 cm. Diameter at base: 12 cm. Overall good condition. Minor warping. Old soldering repairs to attachment of central shaft to base.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

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Lot 280 Silver Hanukkah Lamp – Breslau, 1864

Hanukkah lamp. Breslau, Germany (today Wrocław, Poland), 1864.

Silver, cut, repoussé, and engraved. Marked with t

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Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art Jan 27, 2026

Opening: $1,500

Sold for: $5,250

Including buyer's premium

Hanukkah lamp. Breslau, Germany (today Wrocław, Poland), 1864.

Silver, cut, repoussé, and engraved. Marked with the city mark of Breslau and the number 64 (indicating the year 1864; typus xx), and with the maker’s mark: MHS within a rectangular frame (the letters MH conjoined).

The backplate of the lamp is decorated with vegetal and geometric patterns, topped with a shell-shaped ornament. At center, a pierced arch-shaped opening contains a silver plaque engraved with the Hanerot Halalu blessing, traditionally recited or chanted after kindling the lights.

Eight elongated oil fonts with cylindrical spouts and hook-shaped handles are fitted into designated slots above a rectangular drip tray. Two removable servant lights included.

This lamp is similar in its design to a group of Hanukkah lamps produced in Nuremberg during the 18th century, particularly those created by the silversmith Matheus Städlein in the first half of the 18th century. In those earlier examples, the Hanukkah blessings were typically incorporated into the backplate on parchment or paper; in contrast, the later example offered here features a silver plaque engraved with the blessing's text.

For comparison, see: The Jewish Museum New York collection (F197, Braunstein no. 13); Sotheby’s, Tel Aviv, October 1991, Lot 271; and Sotheby’s, New York, 15 December 2022, Lot 130.

Height: 27.5 cm. Max. width: 29 cm. Max. depth: 9 cm. Overall good condition. Minor bends and blemishes. Backplate slightly bowed forward.

Category

Hanukkah and Sabbath Lamps

Catalogue Value

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