When was this made?
By Anne le Gassick '24
This piece was most likely made in the early 13th century. The artistic detail of Abraham stepping out of the picture plane with one foot placed over the frame is a known tactic from around this time period. The floral scroll in the background of the piece is also a common style from that time.
The early years of the 13th century coincide with the Fourth Crusade, which took Byzantine Constantinople in 1204, and is slightly later than the Third Crusade, in which Richard the Lionheart and Saladin fought. Saladin was the ruler of Egypt until 1193, so Saladin died about a decade before this relief was carved.
