Elizabeth I joined court cupboard

Elizabeth I joined oak and carved court cupboard of the highest quality. The three shelves supported by four superb carved columns in the form of humans and beasts. The lower section with winged griffins with feather breasts and rising out wings supporting the upper tier. The upper supports in the form of two females standing in a classical pose. The lower rails carved with double S-scrolled strap work and applied decoration within the designs of Jan Vredeman de Vries strap work, typical of Exeter known work. The middle rail which is a working drawer has a central rib running horizontally with botanical scrolled decoration above and below flanking a central panel with flower. The top rail also a drawer richly carved with trailing vine and leaf with birds within the decoration. The enclosed back boards decorated with applied jewelled arcading and a single quartered moulded panel to the upper section., both of these are very evident in Exeter joinery, such as the panelling in Tucker's hall and Guildhall panelling and front door. Another similar court cupboard is in the Ashmolean museum and has all the Exeter motifs. Our example is illustrated in English Furniture 1500-1840, Geoffrey Beard & Judith Goodison, page 25, illustration 6. Provenance: Irwin Untermyer Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.