Collection:  General Judaica

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• Needlework by Ilana Limoni

• Illustrations painted by Lindy Tilp

• Illustration based on antique Judaica originating from the Ukraine 

• Completed in 2002

• It took about ten months to make

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Materials and technique:

• Petit Point Canvas made from cotton with an 18 mesh mono weave (i.e., 324 stitches per square inch)

• Threads are silk, wool and metallic fibers

• Technique is a variety of stitches

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Size:

• H: 69¼” (175.9 cm)    W: 37¾” (95.9 cm)

• With frame: H: 76¾” (195.1 cm)    W: 45¼” (114.9 cm) 

 

Details of note:

Inspiration.  The illustration was based on a combination of two almost identical Hanukkah lamps that were most likely gilded in Brody, Ukraine in the 1870s. There are many Jewish elements incorporated in this piece that include both a hanukkiah (eight candles) and a menorah (seven candles).    

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Colors.  Since this was inspired by Jewish ritual objects that are commonly crafted from precious metals, Ilana only used shades of gold and silver for the rendering.  There are approximately twenty shades of each color incorporated herein.

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Process in general:

Ilana collaborated with her artist Lindy as to how she wanted the illustration to be adapted from the original lamps.  Once the canvas was painted, Ilana needlepointed the artwork and covered the remainder of the canvas with a blue background.

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Other comments: 

Since the ancient objects originated from the Ukraine, they had a few Russian and other non Jewish motifs that Ilana omitted from the design. 

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Ilana’s husband Uri enjoyed looking at decorative ancient works in auction house catalogues; in one edition he spotted a photo of a Hanukkah lamp that subsequently served as a basis for this needlepoint.  To help add more details, Uri located another very similar one in New York’s Jewish Museum.  Consequently, Ilana dedicated this needlepoint to him in honor of their 44th anniversary.

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