Sanctuary Lamp

Sanctuary Lamp is built from a steel wire frame, stretched with sections of goat hide and bound with waxed thread. A chain of cast pewter links suspends a votive candle. The work draws inspiration from the sanctuary lamp, a fixture in both Jewish and Christian traditions, where a flame burns as a sign of divine presence. In Catholic churches, for example, a red candle represents Christ. In this pendant lamp, the red thread ties the votive candle, a quiet echo of the eternal flame. Goat hide—referenced in the Old Testament as material for the Tabernacle and ritual objects like Torah scrolls—further embeds scriptural resonance.

The artist Madeline Coven is interested in the way in which design objects are often used in rites or rituals. Though recognizable to those familiar with religious spaces, these objects are capable of being recontextualized as merely functional or sculptural. By shifting the lamp’s relationship to space and the relationships within that environment, the piece represents a meditation on presence, memory and history. In this way, the notion of ritual can be created around any household object. Whether encountered as religious or secular, an object’s significance emerges through the framework of relationships. Ritual is created through use, and remembrance is embodied through form.

Year: 2025

Material: Goat hide, steel wire, waxed thread, pewter, electrical components

Dimensions: D 18 x H 66 in