This large basin is exquisitely decorated with scenes from Genesis, showing the key role of food in Man’s fall from grace to his first acts of sin:

1. The Creation of Eve with abundant food freely given in the Garden of Eden;
2. The Fall of Man when Eve is tempted toeat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, tempting Adam to do likewise;
3. The Admonition, God’s earlier instruction to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge;
4. The Expulsion from Paradise of Adam and Eve that resulted in humankind being condemned to work for their food; and
5. Cain killing Abel, when Cain, an arable farmer, murders his younger brother Abel, a shepherd, because God had preferred Abel’s sacrifice of lambs to Cain’s offering of grain.

Pierre Reymond (c.1513 – after 1584)

Limoges, France, c.1555 – 65, after prints dated 1529 by Lucas van Leyden (1495 – 1533) Enamelled copper, and gilt; the central boss with the unidentified coat-of-arms was added after 1878

Louis C.G. Clarke Bequest, 1960 (M.111-1961)