A Rare And Important English Canopy Circa 1480-1500

This Canopy which would have originaly been part of a Gothic

cupboard with possibly a linenfold panelled back and tracery top with three finials is a rare pre reformation survivour.

The front with two pierced tracery panels with quatrefoils and rope twist border with a central Knopped muntin with chevron carved design,the sides with similar panels but with a leaf and bud design to the bottom which is not pierced.

Interestingly only the facing right hand side is complete the left hand side has the pieced quatrefoils and scribe marks but no leaf and bud has not been completed,the corners have a knopped finial that has been cut and i feel this would have originaly gone all the way down to the top of the cupboard.

I have  only been able to find  two examples of canopied cupboards in Richard Bebbs Book Welsh Furniture 1250-1950 ,on page 153 is The Raglan  Cupboard from Raglan Castle that Richard describes as the earliest example of this type of cupboard that is known to excist in the British Isles and on page 202 is an image of The Gwydir Cupboard From Gwydir Castle that was owned by John Wyn Ap Maredudd of Gwdir  .

Victor Chinnery also mentions canopied cupboards on page 342 and shows an example of a  canopy with a painted panel back in his book Oak Furniture the British tradition.

This Example which was recently purchased in East Sussex and has been used as a canopy above a bed is in very good order with a later moulded edge to the top and a brace has been placed on the back with iron hooks as to attach to the wall ,which could easily be removed if required with out damaging the original construction.

Very good colour and patina and a good grain pattern as one would expect from a piece of oak from this period .

So please embrace the chance to own what could be the only  example of a gothic canopy known outside of a museam and possibly the first of this kind to be offered for sale on the open market.

63" Wide

19" Deep

18" high.

Please get in touch for further images or information that may be required or images of the known examples to excist if you do not own the books used as reference.