This substantial liturgical object (20" x 20", 9.2 lbs) is a rare survivor of early modern blacksmithing. Forged from high-carbon wrought iron, the menorah features a central stanchion supporting six graduating arms, each meticulously secured with heavy-duty hand-driven rivets.

​The seven elongated conical sockets are of particular diagnostic importance; they are manually rolled from sheet iron with visible vertical seams, a form synonymous with lighting technology of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. The bifurcated "Y-style" trestle base—a hallmark of late 16th-century European ironwork, featuring hand-hammered pad terminals, provides the necessary stability for a piece of this extraordinary mass. The surface exhibits a deep, authentic oxidized patina with significant pitting and variegated hammer marks characteristic of centuries of environmental exposure.

​Unlike the cast-brass examples common to the 18th century, this menorah features manually rolled "thimble" sockets. This primitive seaming, combined with the heavy hand-struck rivets and deep carbon-pitting, suggests a provenance that survived the shifts of the Thirty Years' War.

Part of the permanent Light & Legacy collection.