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A rare 16th century carved oak panel with possible early links to astronomy .

Of large size circa 1530

Depicting Mercury the God of trade in romayne profile form with his elaborate winged helmet in the form of a dragon and the sun above him to his right side also in a roundle .

 Mercury is the son of Jupitor and is comparable to the Greek god Hermes; both are considered messengers of the Gods. Naturally, Mercury/Hermes is thought to be very swift--this is proven by his winged helmet and sandals in drawings. Mercury's name is related to the Latin word merx, which means merchandise He is therefore the god of Commerce and Trade; however, he is also the god of Thieves.

Is this just the decorative design of a carver or is it a rare reference to early astronomy in that Mercury the planet is the closest planet to the sun  .

Mercury, the planet, has been known since  the time of the Sumerians (3rd millennium BC). It was given two names by the Greeks: Apollo for its apparition as a morning star and Hermes as an evening star. Heraclitus (535-475 BC) even believed that Mercury and Venus orbit the Sun, not the Earth; this idea was not commonly held as true at the time. 

An interesting subject matter that is rarely seen in carved form.

A rare English chair with a similar carved profile with detailed dragon helmet sold as lot 296 in the Clive Sherwood Collection Sotheby's May 2002 .

Detailed and imaginative helmets that may have influenced the design of this carving could be 16th century German woodcuts  by Georg Pencz see image of  Josua from a series of the nine worthies.

Condition is good with a small patch repair to the sun and the nose of Mercury ,dark colour with a good surface.

14"(36cms)Wide.

29"(74cms) High.