Design for a Knife Handle with a Scene of Christ Joining a Man and Woman 1580 - 1600

This is Johann Theodor de Bry's "Design for a Knife Handle with a Scene of Christ Joining a Man and Woman," an engraving on paper created around the late 16th to early 17th century. The composition is dominated by the central knife handle design, flanked by supplementary motifs and columns of text. De Bry employs a dense, intricate style, filling nearly every space with finely detailed figures and ornaments. Note how this density creates a visual hierarchy, guiding the eye from the biblical scene at the top to the allegorical figures below. The choice of engraving allows for sharp contrasts, emphasizing the detailed textures and patterns. The handle's form is vertically elongated, drawing the eye upwards, while the surrounding elements add balance and symmetry. The semiotic language is clear: marriage as divinely ordained, reinforced by the cherubic figures. The linear precision and controlled contrast of the engraving technique highlight the era's emphasis on clarity and order. It's a piece that destabilizes the idea of a purely functional object by turning it into a canvas for religious and moral instruction.