Arabic-style calligraphy

This copper tray is not a vessel of ornament but a vessel of memory, a sacred narrative hammered and etched into living metal. Its surface unfolds like scripture in image, each scene a chapter of humanity’s encounter with the divine. At the heart, Adam and Eve stand beneath the Tree of Knowledge, the serpent coiling upward to tempt, fruit bursting around them in both abundance and danger. This central medallion reminds the viewer of humanity’s first trial and the eternal loss of innocence.

Radiating outward, the tray becomes a gallery of prophecy:

• Noah’s Ark (سفينة نوح) floats upon stylized waves, framed by the Qur’anic verse:
  "بسم الله مجراها ومرساها" (In the name of God is its course and its anchorage – Qur’an 11:41).
  Beneath it, a monstrous fish recalls Jonah (يونس), swallowed by the whale, evoking divine trial and mercy.
• Abraham and Ishmael (ذبح إسماعيل): The patriarch lifts his hand in obedience; the ram and descending angel are present, with the verse of Ibrahim inscribed around the scene.
• Joseph (يوسف) and his brothers: Eleven figures appear, ten brothers clearly depicted and one face hidden, casting him into the well, a symbol of betrayal, despair, and destiny.
• Solomon (سليمان): His kingdom is displayed with armies, the hoopoe bird (الهدهد), and even the ants he commanded, framed by the Qur’anic verse on Solomon’s dominion.
• Moses (موسى): His staff transforms into a serpent before Pharaoh, the magicians, and Haman, illustrating the divine sign against false power.

Calligraphic Inscriptions

The tray is encircled by Qur’anic inscriptions that anchor each narrative:

• Around Adam, verses describe life in Paradise before the fall.
• Around Noah’s Ark, the verse "بسم الله مجراها ومرساها" (Qur’an 11:41).
• Around Abraham’s sacrifice, the Qur’anic words of submission and divine command (Qur’an 37:102–107).
• Around Joseph’s well, verses recall his betrayal and destiny (Qur’an 12:15).
• Around Jonah and the whale, the verse of his being swallowed and calling to God in the darkness (Qur’an 37:142-144).
• Around Solomon, verses declaring his kingdom and wisdom (Qur’an 27:18–20).
• Around Moses, inscriptions narrating his miracles before Pharaoh (Qur’an 7:107–108).

The outer border bears continuous blessings and praises, uniting the prophetic cycle into a single voice of remembrance.

Artistic Details

• Central Medallion: Adam, Eve, and the serpent beneath the sacred tree, framed as the beginning of humanity’s story.
• Prophetic Cartouches: Each prophet’s scene is framed like a miniature, balanced within the overall geometry.
• Animals & Angels: Beasts, birds, and angels animate the negative spaces: horses gallop in processions, hoopoes perch among vines, serpents coil, and angels descend with wings spread.
• Qur’anic Ornamentation: Each story is paired with its verse, making the tray both a visual scripture and a theological commentary.
• Shimmering Ground: Arabesques, interlace, and star-diapers fill every space, ensuring the surface glows with life and meaning.

Interpretation

This tray is a metallic scripture, a revelation told in copper. It binds together the earliest stories of humankind, creation, covenant, trial, mercy, kingship, betrayal, and deliverance into a single visual theology. To look upon it is to walk through sacred history: Adam’s trial, Noah’s survival, Abraham’s obedience, Joseph’s betrayal, Jonah’s redemption, Solomon’s dominion, and Moses’ triumph. Inscriptions weave around them like divine breath, while animals and angels enliven the margins. This is no mere ornament but a portable sacred text, where memory, faith, and artistry converge into eternal testimony.