A very rare Flemish Gothic carved oak tambour boiserie door 15th Century

of canted form, the cresting surmounted by birds and with tracery panels above a panelled door, the whole carved with linenfold

Old marks, chips and losses due to insect damage commensurate with age as visible from the catalogue photograph. The detail to the carved birds on the top has been lost. There is also shrinking and cracks in the wood commensurate with age. There are construction cracks generally and some minor replacements. There is also evidence of a previous fixing below the lock plate. In otherwise good conserved condition. Highly unusual door. Highly recommended.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This rare piece was commonly used to cover an opening in a wall and was intended to keep out draughts, noise and disguised as a cupboard.

An example of one can be seen in Parures d'Or et de Poupre, le Mobilier à la Cour des Valois, Paris, 2002, p. 21, fig.2, `Louis XII recevant l'hommage d'un livre', (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Fr 53, fol. 9) reproduced here in fig.1. 

Gothic decoration in both furniture and interior decoration was inevitably linked with the Church and its architecture. Although one should never assume unless the piece of furniture is a choir stall or pulpit, that it was necessarily made for Church use, as the Gothic style was utilised for all purposes, whether religious, secular or domestic. When one considers the furniture of the Gothic period one has to assume that the surviving pieces would most probably have belonged to an affluent merchant or burgher, as the furniture of the peasantry and minor yeomanry was very primitive and has largely disappeared. This tambour boiserie door would almost certainly have been installed in the house of a wealthy merchant or member of the ruling classes.

In medieval art, great appreciation was made of the folds in drapery of cloths and textiles which dates back to and can be most clearly seen in Flemish panel painting of 15^th century, where great emphasis was placed on this. The linenfold style developed from the simple parchemin or parchment fold with a pronounced central ridge which finished at either end with a straightforward ogee arch. True linenfold appears in England in some accounts as `lignum undulatum'  literally wavy wood,  after 1450. Regional variations appeared in France, Germany and England by the end of the 15th century and it was used on chests, presses, wall-panelling and chimney-pieces. Wood panelling almost always made from oak became popular in Northern Europe from the 14th century after European craftsmen rediscovered the technique to make frame and panel joinery. The framing technique was used from the 13th century onwards to clad interior walls to form choir stalls.Often when used as  wall panelling it was painted to give the illusion of painted cloths or tapestries.