Statue of Liberty Hanukkah Lamp

Book Description

A Prized Example of Modern American Judaica(HANUKKAH LAMP) ANSON, Manfred. New York, 1986. Bronze Hanukkah lamp. Measures approximately 23 inches x 16 inches. This exceptional menorah was crafted by Manfred Anson in honor of the centennial of the Statue of Liberty. A century earlier, small souvenirs of Lady Liberty were produced and sold as a way of raising funds for the construction of her pedestal in New York harbor. Anson cast these bibelots and reinvented their torches to hold Hanukkah candles. The statuettes are engraved individually with a commemorative time line of important events in Jewish history. The four Liberties on the left are inscribed “Israel 1948", "Holocaust 1939-1945", "Herzl Zionist Congress—Basel 1897", and "Galut". The four Liberties on the right: “2 revolts against Rome:, "Judah Maccabee 168 BCE", "Babylonian Exile 597-538 BCE" and "Exodus from Egypt", while the central servant candle holder is engraved “1886-1986”. On the verso of the servant lamp appears the maker’s name and the limited edition number.The words of The New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus, “Give me your tired, your poor… your huddled masses yearning to be free" were chosen as the perfect verbal expression for a young nation founded by immigrants. For many Jews, fleeing the persecutions and pogroms of Europe, the welcoming light of The Statue of Liberty represented the ultimate symbol of triumph over adversity. Manfred Anson more than doubles the strength of this symbol with the memorial inscriptions on each candleholder. Could there be a more powerful metaphor? LIMITED NUMBER: Fewer than 50 of the Statute of Liberty Hanukkah Lamps have been individually cast.

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