Page 33 - HANUKIYA

Cartouche: A decorative shield, often oval-shaped and placed in the center of

the menorah’s backplate, which might have an inscription or a depiction of the

menorah in the Beis Hamikdash, the Shnei Luchos Habris, or some other object.

Chasing: A technique where malleable metal is hammered on the front side,

sinking the design element into the metal. Give yourself extra points for asking
if it’s hand-chased or done by machine.

Filigree: Intricate ornamentation fashioned from thin metal wires, often from

silver or gold.

Finial: An object at the top, end, or corner of an object. If you’ve read the rest

of the article, you’ll know one reason why some menorahs have an eagle finial
with two heads, while other eagle finials have only one.

Gilded or Gilt-Silver: As Shakespeare once said, “All that glitters is not gold.”

If an item is gilded, it means a thin layer of gold has been applied to the metal.

Parcel-gilt is a fancy way of saying that only part of an object has been gilded.

Lion Rampant: You wouldn’t want to meet one in real life. “Rampant” refers to the
lion’s position: a profile view of a lion standing upright, with claws unsheathed, as
if ready to strike. A lion rampant is looking straight ahead, while a lion rampant
regardant is looking backwards, over his shoulder.

Repouss: The opposite of chasing, in that the metal is hammered from the

back, creating a raised design in front.

Scrolling Foliage: Similar to a chazzan’s vocal trills, this ornamental

intertwining of natural-looking vines and stems with stylized patterns transforms

a plain piece of silver into an ornate floral design.

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