The old sycamore tree
This illustration shows the old Egyptian sycamore tree at the same place where Maria, Joseph and baby Jesus used to stay in Egypt. Original tree stayed on the same spot until 1656.
Jakov Šašel probably painted this illustration during his stay in Cairo (between 25th September and 3rd October 1853).
In the late summer of 1853 Jakov Šašel went on his first journey to Austria to visit various gunsmiths. There he probably learned that Ignatio Knoblecher, from the Catholic missionary in Khartoum, was looking for various craftsmen for his mission in Sudan. Jakob decided to join the large group of missionaries and craftsmen, and in August 1853 he left his home for an almost year long journey to Egypt, Nubia and Sudan. He returned from Sudan in the summer of 1854.
Jakov Šašel described his journey to Egypt, Nubia and Africa in a manuscript journal, titled Bilder aus dem Oriente aufgenommen während einer Reise nach Aegypten, Nubien, Sudan in Jahren 1853 und 1854 (Pictures from the Orient taken during a journey to Egypt, Nubia and Sudan in 1853 and 1854), which he completed in 1863. His manuscript, bound in leather, and with the title in gold letters, is today in the collections of Karlovac Town Museum where it has the inventory number KP-460. The manuscript consists of a foreword and 143 pages of text that is divided into four main chapters. The chapters are illustrated with the 33 colourful drawings Šašel made during his journey.
Šašel’s travel journal is one of the most detailed and interesting diaries describing Egypt, Nubia and the Sudan that has survive from the middle of the 19th century. During 1884 the manuscript journal was published in sections within the journal “Svjetlo”. To mark the 140th anniversary of Jakob Šašel’s journey to Africa, in 2003 the Karlovac Town Museum published the manuscript of his travel diary in a bilingual German and Croatian edition.
Jakov Šašel probably painted this illustration during his stay in Cairo (between 25th September and 3rd October 1853).
In the late summer of 1853 Jakov Šašel went on his first journey to Austria to visit various gunsmiths. There he probably learned that Ignatio Knoblecher, from the Catholic missionary in Khartoum, was looking for various craftsmen for his mission in Sudan. Jakob decided to join the large group of missionaries and craftsmen, and in August 1853 he left his home for an almost year long journey to Egypt, Nubia and Sudan. He returned from Sudan in the summer of 1854.
Jakov Šašel described his journey to Egypt, Nubia and Africa in a manuscript journal, titled Bilder aus dem Oriente aufgenommen während einer Reise nach Aegypten, Nubien, Sudan in Jahren 1853 und 1854 (Pictures from the Orient taken during a journey to Egypt, Nubia and Sudan in 1853 and 1854), which he completed in 1863. His manuscript, bound in leather, and with the title in gold letters, is today in the collections of Karlovac Town Museum where it has the inventory number KP-460. The manuscript consists of a foreword and 143 pages of text that is divided into four main chapters. The chapters are illustrated with the 33 colourful drawings Šašel made during his journey.
Šašel’s travel journal is one of the most detailed and interesting diaries describing Egypt, Nubia and the Sudan that has survive from the middle of the 19th century. During 1884 the manuscript journal was published in sections within the journal “Svjetlo”. To mark the 140th anniversary of Jakob Šašel’s journey to Africa, in 2003 the Karlovac Town Museum published the manuscript of his travel diary in a bilingual German and Croatian edition.
Catalogue entry
The old sycamore tree
The Karlovac City Museum, Karlovac
Inv. no. GMK KP-460
Jakob Schaschel (Jakov Šašel), Cairo, between 25th September and 3rd October, 1853
paper: watercolour
29.5 x 22.5 cm
Resources
- Družak, Antonija. „Zapažanja uz ilustracije“. U: Jakov Šašel. Slike s Orijenta nastale tijekom jednog putovanja u Egipat, Nubiju i Sudan godine 1853. i 1854. Karlovac, 2003: 168-170.
- Frelih, Marko. "Thirty-three famous views of the Orient: Jakob Šašel and his impressions from his journey to Khartum in 1853". U: Lazar, Irene; Holaubek, Johanna (ur.) Egypt and Austria V Proceedings. Koper, 2009: 25-34.
- Frelih, Marko. „Afrika, ki odhaja in se vrača: dr. Ignacij Knoblehar – katoliški misijonar v južnem Sudanu in raziskovalec reke Nil“. Azijske in afriške študije IX.3 (2005): 41-64.
- Henkel, Reinhard. “Predgovor”. U: Šašel, Jakov, Slike s Orijenta nastale tijekom jednog putovanja u Egipat, Nubiju i Sudan godine 1853. i 1854. Karlovac, 2003: 158-162.
- Kočevar, Sanda. “Jakov Šašel i Slike Orijenta”. U: Šašel, Jakov, Slike s Orijenta nastale tijekom jednog putovanja u Egipat, Nubiju i Sudan godine 1853. i 1854. Karlovac, 2003: 163-167.
- Kočevar, Sanda. “Svoj o svome – ondašnji karlovački tisak o karlovačkim putnicima – istraživačima Afrike i Južne Amerike druge polovine XIX. i prve polovine XX. stoljeća”. Časopis za suvremenu povijest 44.1 (2012): 93-109.
- Kočevar, Sanda. Jakov Šašel. Karlovac, 2008.
- Kočevar, Sandra. “Prilog za bibliografiju Jakova Šašela (1832-1903) – A contribution ot the bibliography of Jakov Šašel (1832-1903)”. U: Kočevar, Sanda (ur.), Jakov Šašel (1832-1903). Karlovac, 2008: 6-13.
- Schaschel, Jakob. "Bilder aus dem Oriente aufgenommen während einer Reise nach Aegypten, Nubien, Sudan in Jahren 1853 und 1854". Karlovac, 1863.
- Schaschel, Jakob. "Bilder aus dem Oriente aufgenommen während einer Reise nach Aegypten, Nubien, Sudan in Jahren 1853 und 1854". Karlovac, 2003. 3-121 + Bild 1-34.
- Šašel, Jakov. "Slike s Orijenta nastale tijekom jednog putovanja u Egipat, Nubiju i Sudan godine 1853. i 1854.". Karlovac, 2003. 157-263 + slike 1-34.