Large Modernist Patinated Bronze Hanukkah Menorah by Daniel Kafri

18183: Large Modernist Patinated Bronze Hanukkah Menorah by Daniel Kafri
Jerusalem, 20th Century
Height 41cm, Width 69cm, Depth 18cm

This striking Modernist bronze menorah by Daniel Kafri is modelled in the form of an elongated boat or navis, a sleek crescent-shaped vessel raised on a broad spreading pedestal foot. Eight globular lights of swelling rounded form are arranged in sequence along the upper edge, their proportions closely recalling the ancient ceramic oil vessels used throughout the Mediterranean basin. To the right, a ninth vessel, the shamash or servant light, rises on a slightly taller stem with a looped handle, completing the traditional nine-light Hanukkah composition.
The entire surface is finished in a richly variegated verdigris patina, the warm bronze ground enlivened with passages of turquoise, malachite green and pale celadon. The effect evokes the appearance of an excavated archaeological object, forging a powerful visual connection between the contemporary ritual form and the ancient world from which the Hanukkah story emerges. By employing vessel forms rather than the conventional branched candelabrum, Kafri creates a subtle yet eloquent allusion to the sacred oil at the heart of the Hanukkah miracle.
The combination of raised and textured bronze surfaces creates a rich interplay of tone and light entirely characteristic of Kafri’s finest work. The boat form provides an elegant and historically resonant base, enhancing the overall sense of sculptural presence and spiritual significance.
Daniel Kafri was one of Israel’s most celebrated sculptors, born in Czechoslovakia in 1945 and later settling in Israel. His Judaica works are prized internationally for their ability to unite spiritual meaning, historical reference and Modernist sculptural rigour.
$ 22,500