Title:Abraham's SacrificeArtist:Jonas Silber Date:1585Creation Place:Europe, GermanyCredit Line:Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1926 or 1927Accession Number:P.11,020 In the late 1500s, a few Nuremberg goldsmiths used hand-punches on metal plates to produce prints made of dots. Perhaps to make Abraham's test of faith more accessible to German audiences, Jonas Silber placed the scene in a Teutonic landscape. He also turned Abraham into an ancient Roman, reflecting the fashion among fellow goldsmiths to mix motifs. The ram at left, a substitute offering in place of Isaac, alludes to the Crucifixion, recalling Martin Luther's belief that salvation comes through direct faith in God.