Description
This plate was used during the circumcision ceremony to present the mohel's instruments and, according to local custom, to receive certain elements of the rite. A ceremonial object of entry into the covenant of Abraham, it often belonged to the community or to the confraternity charged with assisting at circumcisions. German pewter pieces are engraved with line-drawn biblical scenes, notably the binding of Isaac or the circumcision itself, and with Hebrew blessings. Pewter, a more accessible metal than silver, was commonly used for ceremonial objects in Ashkenazic communities. This plate illustrates the diffusion of a ritual material culture beyond precious objects alone.
