Tin lamps, perhaps the simplest and least expensive to make, are known from parts of Germany, France, and Switzerland that border on the Rhine River. Their use may have been more widespread, but what little is known about tin lamps comes from efforts to collect and document them by museums in Alsace and Basel. These often have as many as four sets of eight lights, a custom followed by Alsatian Jews so that several family members could kindle their own lights. Two types of bench lamps are known: one with a backplate, as seen here, and the other comprising just the oil containers mounted on a rectangular plate.
It is often difficult to determine the origin and date for tin lamps without known provenance. The methods used to create works of tin are simple and appear to be universal. The uncertainty is compounded by the fact that there is a paucity of studies on style and form on European tin objects.
Following Alsatian Jewish custom, this lamp has two sets of Hanukkah oil containers. The original owner lived in southwestern Germany, close to Alsace.