Such a beautiful piece of work. It was created at the Bezalel School in Palestine sometime soon after the turn of the last century. This lovely repoussé relief depicts a shepherd playing a flute like instrument for three sheep while relaxing under a tree.
The outside edge of the plaque measures approximately 5 1/4 inches wide by 6 inches tall and approximately an inch deep. The brass metal plaque measures 3 5/8“ x 4 1/2“. The condition is very, very good but being over 100 years old there is the occasional scratch to the wood. The metal plaque could be polished to a bright shine if the new owner so desired but some people prefer the patina that comes with age. I leave all patina decisions to the new owner. Please see all of the photographs as they are part of the description.
The Bezalel school was an art movement in Palestine in the late Ottoman and British Mandate periods. Named for the Bezalel Art School, predecessor of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, it has been described as "a fusion of oriental art and Art Nouveau."
The Bezalel school artists blended varied strands of surroundings, tradition and innovation in paintings and craft objects that invoked biblical themes, Islamic design and European traditions in their effort to carve out a distinctive style of Jewish art for the new nation planned in the ancient Jewish homeland. The works of art created by the group contributed significantly to the creation of a distinctive Israeli national culture.
The founder of the school was Boris Schatz, who left his position as head of the Royal Academy of Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria, to make aliyah 1906 and established an academy for Jewish arts in Jerusalem.
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