God the Father and Abraham

This plaque, fragmented by damage to the upper edge, was originally part of a cycle of carved ivory panels known as the Paliotto of Salerno. A total of sixty-seven reliefs survive today, the greatest number being in the Museo Diocesano in Salerno. Other individual panels are in New York, Budapest, Paris, Hamburg and Berlin. In dating the reliefs, it has hitherto been assumed that they had a temporal connection with the newly built cathedral of Salerno, which was consecrated in 1084. Recently, the second quarter of the twelfth century has been suggested. The Berlin panel depicts the covenant between God and Abraham: God the Father is raising his right hand in blessing over a domed ciborium, while Abraham indicates with outstretched Italy hands the altar, which he has erected himself, standing between the pillars.