1 June 2026

What are the stories behind the Jewish cultural artefacts in the MARKK Museum’s collection? A new exhibition this late summer explores this question. In preparation for it, CSMC researcher Ümit Güder has carried out material science analyses on several objects.

Among the objects analysed were a Seder plate, a seven-branched candelabrum, and two Hanukkah lamps in the form of banks. Together, they represent different forms of Jewish ceremonial metalwork, and each posed its own technical and conservation-related questions. Was the white decoration on the Seder plate made with lead white? Were the yellowish decorative details on the candelabrum actually gilded, or were they made from a different alloy? And were the two Hanukkah lamps crafted from tin, lead, or a tin-lead alloy?

To answer such questions, Ümit Güder, a CSMC researcher specialising in archaeometallurgy and materials analysis, carried out portable X-ray fluorescence analysis directly on site at Museum am Rothenbaum – Kulturen und Künste der Welt (MARKK). Using the CSMC Mobile Lab’s portable XRF system, he was able to determine the elemental composition of the historic materials without damaging the objects. The method works by directing a small X-ray beam onto selected spots on the artefacts and measuring the fluorescent signals emitted by the materials. It is especially valuable for heritage objects because it is non-invasive and can be used directly in storage.

The results provided a clearer picture of how these objects were made. The white paint on the Seder plate turned out to be zinc-based rather than lead-based, easing concerns about possible lead exposure for conservators. The plate’s surface also revealed a layered construction of iron, tin, and brass, while its cast feet were identified as a leaded brass alloy with a dark sulphurised patina.

The candelabrum yielded another interesting result: its flame-shaped finial and foliate elements were shown to be parcel-gilded silver rather than a separate silver-copper alloy. The larger Hanukkah lamp was identified as pewter, with one soldered joint containing lead-rich solder. The smaller lamp combined pewter components with an iron lower reservoir coated in tin.

These and many other objects will be part of an upcoming MARKK exhibition on the history of Jewish cultural heritage objects in the museum’s collection. The exhibition opens on 28 August 2026 and will run until 27 June 2027.