Sanctuary Lamp
Attributed to Johann Caspar Kriedemann (act. 1734–59)
Sanctuary Lamp, 1758–59
Gold, gilt silver
34 13/16 × 12 3/16 × 11 7/16 in. (88.5 × 31 × 29 cm)
Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem
© The Frick Collection
On August 1, 1730, Emperor Charles VI (r. 1711–40) gifted a gold sanctuary lamp to the Holy Sepulcher. On the night of April 2 (eve of Palm Sunday), 1757, the Greek clergy at the Holy Sepulcher attacked the Franciscan friars and ransacked and smashed much of the Latin Treasure; the lamp of Charles VI was heavily damaged. This lamp may have been made in Vienna with the gold of the previous lamp. It was a gift from Empress Maria Theresa (r. 1740–80), in honor of her parents, Charles VI and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The lamp is decorated with reliefs showing three episodes from the life of Christ: the Nativity, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. It arrived in Jerusalem on May 5, 1759.
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