Henry VIII joined oak livery cupboard

Circa 1510
England

W 67 1/2" × H 50 3/4" × D 25 1/2"

Stock # Marh2596

SOLD

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Henry VIII joined oak livery cupboard of Royal quality, the front arranged with upper and lower cupboards with two drawers in the centre. The lower section with barber pole carved legs with free floating open tracery above. The stiles with applied carved buttresses with barber pole designs and heavy moulded framing applied to the rails. The upper front door with the scene of George slaying the Dragon with a King and Queen in the towers above looking on, and a belt with the Order of the Garter inscription and a Tudor rose. The lower door is a later addition put in during the early 17th century and it's the coat of arms for James I with a lion and unicorn flanking the arms of England with a crown above and two Tudor roses. The upper righthand panel with a helmet above the cross of St George and the left hand upper panel very similar but left plain (possibly painted) The other panels consist of other arms of families from the Order of the Garter. There are very few documented cupboards of this period and this undocumented example is by far much finer and richer than all the others known.

It is quite possible that this cupboard was part of a group of items commemorating the families of the Order of the Garter for the period in which it was made circa 1510 and part of the Royal scheme at St George's Chapel at Windsor or another palace.