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A TRULY RARE ENGLISH CARVED OAK PANEL. KENT /EAST ANGLIA. CIRCA 1350.

A TRULY RARE ENGLISH CARVED OAK PANEL. KENT /EAST ANGLIA. CIRCA 1350.

THIS RARE PANEL IS FROM THE FRONT OF A MID 14TH CENTURY OAK CLAMPFRONT CHEST FROM THE KENT/EAST ANGLIA AREA.I ITS MAIN CHARACTERISTIC BEING THE FANCIFUL ANIMAL/BEAST CARVED ORNAMENT TO THE FRONT AS ON THIS EXAMPLE, ALL SUBDIVIDED WITHIN RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENTS TO THE FRONT. MOST SURVIVING FRAGMENTARY EXAMPLES ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE KENT AND EAST ANGLIA AREA INCLUDING THE FAMOUS CHEST FROM SALTWOOD KENT. ALL HAVE THE SAME MYTHICAL BESTIARY BEASTS, THIS EXAMPLE HAS A CENTRAL RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENT CARVED WITH TWO LONG FEARSOME LIONS CENTRED BY AN UPRIGHT APE FIGURE DEPICTED AS A WILDMAN HOLDING HIS CLUB AND FEEDING THE LION TO THE LEFT, THE LION TO THE RIGHT LOOKS TO BE EXCITED EITHER TO BE FED OR TO POSSIBLY DEVOUR THE APE FIGURE. THE OTHER RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENTS DEPICT MYTHICAL BEASTS, THE BOTTOM FOUR DEPICT WYVERNS, IDENTICAL TO THE ONES DRAWN BY FRED ROE OF THE MID 14TH CENTURY PRITTLEWELL CHEST, ESSEX IN HIS BOOK- ANCIENT CHESTS BY FRED ROE. PG 83. FIG 65.

A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF ENGLISH CARVING FROM THE 14TH CENTURY.

STOCK NO 1872.