A Pair of Early 16th-Century Flemish Carved Oak Parchemin Panels

A pair of early 16th-century oak panels, each finely carved with an elaborate form of parchemin or linenfold ornament and retained within its original joined oak frame.

The symmetrical design develops the traditional linenfold motif into an architectural composition of sweeping ogee curves, cusped tracery, foliate terminals and repeated figure-of-eight interlace. The density and fluidity of the carving are characteristic of the late Gothic decorative tradition of the Southern Netherlands, before the widespread adoption of Renaissance ornament.

The substantial pegged frames and scale of the panels suggest that they originally formed part of a larger piece of joined furniture, most probably the doors or framed elements of a cupboard.