A rare C17th carved burr oak panel, English ‘Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well’

A RARE 17TH/18TH-CENTURY CARVED BURR OAK PANEL DEPICTING REBECCA AND ELIEZER AT THE WELL
English or Northern European, 17th/18th Century

A richly sculptural and expressive burr oak relief panel, carved in the solid from a thick slab of beautifully figured timber, illustrating the Old Testament scene of Rebecca and Eliezer at the well (Genesis 24). The composition centres on Eliezer, servant of Abraham, depicted seated before a well and gesturing toward Rebecca, who stands gracefully beside him holding a vessel. Above them rises a stylised fruiting tree, its leaves and clustered grapes carved in bold relief, lending a symbolic flourish to the narrative of hospitality and divine providence.

The panel bears the inscription “Give me to Drink” carefully scratch-carved into the lower border, directly referencing Eliezer’s request—an act that, according to Scripture, marks Rebecca as the destined wife of Isaac. This inscription, together with the animated modelling of the figures’ drapery, serves to root the carving firmly within the tradition of post-medieval biblical storytelling in domestic art.

Carved from a single piece of burr oak, approximately 1¼ inches (3.5 cm) thick, the panel displays the characteristic undulating grain and natural figuring prized in early decorative woodwork. The reverse shows extensive historic toolmarks and age patination, together with historic worming now long inactive, all attesting to its age and authenticity.

Dimensions: 32 cm wide × 30 cm high × 3.5 cm deep
(12½ in × 11½ in × 1¼ in)

A rare survivor of its type, this panel combines strong folk-biblical imagery with the tactile warmth of burr oak, making it both an evocative devotional object and an exceptional example of vernacular carving from the 17th or early 18th century.