Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks - The Age of Oak - 14th January 2025
Lot 91
A RARE SMALL TUDOR BOARDED AND VENTILATED OAK MURAL CUPBOARD
Estimate £10,000 - £15,000 | Hammer £17640
Inc. Buyers Premium
Description
A RARE SMALL TUDOR BOARDED AND VENTILATED OAK MURAL CUPBOARD
ENGLISH, C.1450-1500
possibly a tabernacle, of five-sided form, the central door with butterfly hinges and carved floral panels above a band of punched decoration and three slots, flanked to each side with two similarly decorated panels, beneath a carved and pierced foliate gallery, stamped initials 'IB' beneath the door
45.7cm high, 38.5cm wide, 31cm deep
Provenance
Purchased from John King Antiques, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, 2nd August 1982.
The Clive Sherwood Collection but not included in Clive’s exemplary sale, Sotheby’s, Olympia, London, 2002, but initially retained by the Sherwood estate as one of Clive’s favourite and important pieces from his collection.Clive Sherwood inventory label to the rear of the door.
Bonhams, The Oak Interior, 18th September 2016, lot 341 where purchased by the current vendor for £35,062.50 (incl).
Catalogue Note
It is possible that this cupboard may have had an ecclesiastical use, either to house the host and the vessels used during Holy Communion, or as a reliquary for relics of a saint.
While previously catalogued as either English of Flemish, further research and consideration has suggested an English attribution to be more likely.