Enquiry information
A RARE EARLY 16TH CENTURY ENGLISH CARVED OAK OVERMANTLE/ HEADBOARD . CIRCA 1520.
THIS AMAZINGLY CARVED TUDOR OAK PANEL IS CARVED IN THE FINEST DETAIL, THE HEAVY MITRED FRAMING AND EXCESSIVE USE OF PUNCHWORK DECORATION TO THE PANELS MAKES THIS PANEL UNEQUIVOCALLY ENGLISH. THE COLOUR OF THE OAK IS A RICH RED/BROWN TYPICAL OF THE NORTHERN REGIONS OF ENGLAND LANCASHIRE/DERBYSHIRE WITH POSSIBLE SCOTTISH CONNECTIONS.
IT REPRESENTS THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO HIGH STATUS FAMILIES.
EACH PANEL IS AS FOLLOWS-
TOP LEFT AND RIGHT SHOWS TWO CARVED PARCHEMIN PANELS THE LEFT WITH THREE INTERTWINED BUNCHES OF FRUIT AND ONE OAK LEAF, THE SECOND RIGHT SHOWS THE SAME PARCHEMIN PANELS BUT THIS TIME THERE ARE FOUR BUNCHES OF FRUIT POSSIBLY REPRESENTING THE FRUITFULNESS OF THE TWO PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER, THE SECOND AND FOURTH PANELS ARE CARVED WITH TWO STYLISTIC SERPENTS BOTH JOINED AT THE NECK BY A RIBBON, THE FOURTH HAS A POMEGRANATE BETWEEN THE SERPENTS REPRESENTING FERTILITY. THE CENTRAL PANEL TOP ROW IS OF A HELMETED BUST THIS WE BELIEVE TO BE THE BRIDEGROOMS FATHER "THE FAMILY PATRIARCH" HE APPEARS OLDER,THE VISORED PARADE HELMET WOULD INDICATE HIS LANDED TITLE AND STATUS AS A MAN-AT-ARMS,THE CARVED SYMBOL OF A SNAKE EATING ITS TAIL BELOW HIM IS AN ILLUSION TO THE ENDURING NATURE OF THE FAMILY LEGACY.
BOTTOM ROW-
THE FEMALE FIGURE FIRST LEFT APPEARS TO BE THAT OF THE YOUNG BRIDE (JOANNA) AS INDICATED BY HER LONG HAIR,YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE AND ELEGANT ATTIRE. THE NEXT PANEL WE THINK REPRESENTS THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE. THE THIRD PANEL WE BELIEVE TO BE CENTRED BY THE MARRIAGE DISH, IN LATE MEDIEVAL ENGLISH TRADITION THE COUPLE TO BE WED WERE OFTEN GIFTED WITH A COSTLY CEREMONIAL DISH USUALLY SILVER GILT,THIS WAS USED DURING THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY AS A RECEPTACLE TO HOLD THE RING WHEN IT WAS BLESSED BY THE PRIEST. THE FLOWER AND THE POMEGRANATE DEPICTED ABOVE COULD BE REFERENCE TO FEMALE FERTILITY, THE FIGURE BELOW IS A CENTAUR CONFRONTED WITH A DRAGON, A MAN WHOSE LOWER BODY IS THAT OF A HORSE, SHOOTING HIS BOW AND ARROW IS A CLEAR REFERENCE TO HIS MALE VIRILITY.
THE FOURTH PANEL IS CARVED WITH A FASHIONABLE YOUNG ARISTOCRATIC MAN (THE BRIDEGROOM) HE IS DRESSED STYLISHLY AND ACCOMPANIED BY ATTRIBUTES OF A HAWK IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND A HOUND TO HIS RIGHT, THESE INDICATE HIS YOUTH AND STATUS. AS HAWKING AND HUNTING WERE THE PRIMARY PASTIME OF YOUNG ARISTOCRATS.THE SMALL CHERUB APPEARS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO GET HIS ATTENTION, PERHAPS TRYING TO PULL HIM AWAY FROM THESE FRIVOLOUS PURSUITS OF YOUTH TOWARDS A LIFE OF RESPONSIBILITY AS THE HEAD OF AN IMPORTANT HOUSEHOLD, THE CODPIECE WORN BY THIS FIGURE INDICATES HIS YOUTHFUL VIRILITY AND READINESS TO FATHER CHILDREN.THE FINAL BOTTOM RIGHT PANEL IS VERY INTERESTING AN POSSIBLY HAS THE SCOTTISH CONNECTION, OR LOYALTY TO SCOTLAND, IT BARES A CROWNED MONOGRAM WHICH RESEMBLES VERY CLOSELY TO THAT OF THE EARLIER EXAMPLES OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, NOT CONJOINED TO ANY OF HER HUSBANDS, THIS CROWNED MONOGRAM IS ABOVE A STANDING HALBREDIER,THE FAVOURED SCOTTISH FOOT SOLDIERS WEAPON, POSSIBLY INDICATING THAT ONE OF THE MARITAL FAMILIES HAD A LONG HISTORY BEARING ARMS FOR THE SCOTTISH CROWN, THE HALBREDIER IS ENCIRCLED BY A LOVE KNOT CONJOINING TWO INITIALS W AND B, PROBABLY THE COUPLES SURNAMES. THE LARGE H LETTER ABOVE MAY BE THAT OF THE MAIDEN NAME OF THE BRIDEGROOMS MOTHER WHO PERHAPS HAD PRESTIGIOUS LINEAGE, TO THE LEFT A BUZZING BEE THIS COULD REPRESENT THE INDUSTRIOUSNESS OF EITHER ONE OR BOTH FAMILIES CONCERNED, THE JOINING OF A TITLED GENTRY FAMILY TO A WELL TODO MERCHANT FAMILY.
THE TOP OF THE OVERMANTLE/HEADBOARD WITH CASTILATED AND PUNCHWORK DECORATION, GREAT COLOUR AND PATINATION.
STOCK NO 1761