Panel illustrating the story of Methuselah (?)

myminifactory

Texture information available upon request - please write to stw@myminifactory.com! Oak, carefully crafted and painted wood. A figure of a man sits atop a tree, gripping a bough with his left hand while resting his right on the same branch. An angel in the upper right corner speaks to him. Beside the trunk stands a young man holding an axe in his left hand and clasping a chopped-off branch with his right. His right foot rests on a shortened branch, and his left foot is planted firmly on the ground. At the base of the tree lies an axe with a broken shaft, and in the lower left corner, a small house. A lettered panel adorns both the top and bottom of the piece, along with scrolls on either side: The top panel reads "MATHUSALEH BILD A/HVS," while the right and left scrolls display "IVO BILD A HOVSE VORS ELF" and "BRING VI MIAS BOI SA." The bottom panel bears the inscription "FATHER HOLD Y AX." This intricate panel may depict the story of Methuselah in the moments leading up to the flood. The lettering at the top appears to be spoken by an angel, saying "Methuselah build a house." The right and left scrolls, which seem to be spoken by Methuselah to his grandson Noah, convey the messages "I will build a house for us" and "Bring up my axe boy." The bottom panel may contain the words spoken by Noah to his father: "Father hold or behold the axe." Inscriptions adorn the top, right, left, and bottom of the panel: Top inscription: MAT(HU)SALE(H) BILD A/HVS The lettering at the top seems to be spoken by an angel, saying "Methuselah build a house." This intricate panel may illustrate the story of Methuselah in the moments leading up to the flood. Right and left scrolls: IVO BILD A HOVSE VORS ELF BRING VI MIAS BOI SA The right and left scrolls seem to be spoken by Methuselah to his grandson Noah, conveying the messages "I will build a house for us" and "Bring up my axe boy." This intricate panel may illustrate the story of Methuselah in the moments leading up to the flood. Bottom inscription: FATHER HOLD Y AX The bottom panel bears the words spoken by Noah to his father: "Father hold or behold the axe." This intricate panel may depict the story of Methuselah in the moments leading up to the flood. Images & Text are copyrighted 2000-2016, The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, UK.