Page 59 - HUDCO DESIGN AWARDS

CONSERVATION OF KENESETH ELIYAHOO SYNAGOGUE, MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA

The stained glass of the Synagogue is a very
beautiful three-Light Window, 10 feet x 2 feet
each, with simple, elegant tracery that holds
circular panels or Medallions as well as small
insets called “eyes”. The medallion in the
center of the tracery has a “sun-burst” that is
striking. The vertical Lights below the tracery
are ornate and punctuated with medallions
again. These medallions carry Renaissance
imagery that was a hallmark of the 19th century
“Revivalist” style: foliage, white laurel, roses,
fruit (lemons, pomegranates, golden apples) –
all poised in a formal, yet stylized arrangement.
The imagery lends naturally to Jewish religion as
well. In fact, it is said that the twelve Medallions
During Restoration represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel.