What is this?
By Anne le Gassick '24
This piece is an Islamic wooden relief carving that shows an Old Testament scene called the Sacrifice of Isaac. It depicts the moment when Abraham hears the voice of an angel as he is about to sacrifice his son Isaac. He holds a knife in the center of the piece and turns to look at the winged angel who gestures towards the ram caught in a tree. In the upper right there is a cloud formation with the hand of God blessing the event. Abraham’s body turns in a way that shows that he was looking at his son Isaac, but then his head has turned to look at the angel. The altar, with Isaac and his vulnerable body, serves as the still center of the piece with these other things happening around it. This piece is a visual translation of the verse “the ram is caught in a thicket by his horns” from Genesis 22.
Abraham has an oval halo around his head. He is wearing an elaborate headdress, a tall crown wrapped in cloth that hangs loosely at the back, a robe tied by a sash, and high boots. Isaac is dressed in loin cloth. He lies with his back on the altar with the knife held at his throat. The background consists of a large floral scroll, composed of split leaves, lotus buds, blossoms, and an oversized palmette. The piece is enclosed by several frames. The outer three are adorned with chevron motifs.