Modern Menorahs at Uniques and Antiques
An auction of mid-century modern decorative arts included menorahs that celebrate Hanukkah in Brutalist style.
Just in time for Hanukkah, which begins at sundown on December 14 this year, a selection of mid-century modern menorahs sold at Uniques and Antiques Auction Sales. Their 3 Day Modern and Decorative Auction, held from December 2 to 4, featured 20th-century decorative arts sourced from local estates and consigners. Menorahs in the Brutalist style, often considered a subset of mid-century modernism, lit up Day 2 of the auction.
The name “Brutalism” comes from the French word “brut,” meaning “raw,” suggesting both “raw materials” and “raw strength.” The term first referred to the hard-edged concrete architecture built in Europe shortly after World War II. Decorative arts to go along with these buildings soon followed. Brutalist art has irregular shapes and rough textures. Lines are jagged; round shapes look lumpy. Materials like metal and stone create a heavy look. Brutalist pieces are often abstract and geometric, but some have an organic look that suggests natural elements.
David Palombo (1920-1966), who studied and taught at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, specialized in Brutalist iron sculptures. One of his menorahs sold at the Uniques and Antiques auction for $594. Instead of familiar candle cups, the arms end in spikes, like old pricket candlesticks, with bobeches made of Jerusalem stone. The asymmetry, twisted lines, spiky shapes, and use of raw stone, along with heavy hand-wrought iron, make the menorah a showcase of Brutalist style.
The auction described Palombo’s piece as an “octopus” menorah, probably referring to the eight arms surrounding the tall shamash, for the candle used to light the others, in the center. It wasn’t the only item that suggested undersea life. Another Brutalist metal menorah, this one by an unidentified designer, resembled a cluster of seaweed or a clump of coral. It sold for $437, more than doubling its $150 high estimate.
A four-piece lot sold for $63. It included two metal menorahs: one with jagged lines and marked “Jerusalem,” and one unmarked, with two figures seated on a bench behind a row of candle cups. There was also an aluminum candelabra by artist Don Drumm and a pierced brass trivet in a shape suggesting a dreidel. All of these pieces have the heavy look and asymmetrical shapes characteristic of Brutalism.
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