This lamp or wall sconce would have been used as part of rituals carried out to observe Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, the day of rest and abstention from work. Light plays an important role in ritualistic Jewish practice where it has been variously interpreted as a symbolic representation of God. The custom is for the mistress of the house to light at least two candles (or alternatives) before the advent of Sabbath – one to remember the Sabbath day and the other to observe the Sabbath day. The maker’s mark (“Bezalel Jerusalem”) refers to The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design which is still in operation today. Regarded as Israel’s leading and prestigious academy of fine arts and design, it was established in 1906 by Boris Schatz, a Bulgarian sculptor, under the initial name of the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafs.
