Four rare carved oak narrative panels from the life of Hercules, possibly French or German 15th/early 16th century

from a series, each with a moulded arch top above an architectural landscape, each scene depicting Hercules and the following scenes; The Nemean Lion, The Slaying of the Centaur Eurytim, The Stymphalian Birds, The Lernean Hydra (4)

Very unusual. Each extraordinary scene with losses and traces of worm. Fragmenting consolidated. The edge of each panel, shaved or clipped in places. The wear is totally commensurate with age. Very atmospheric.
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This curious series is very interesting as it must have come from a larger group commissioned for a secular building or piece of furniture through the subject matter that has been chosen.

There is a French chest in the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris dated 1543 which features a series of panels depicting the trials of Hercules. See Monique Blanc, Moyen Âge Renaissance, Paris, 1999, p. 71.