Late 17th Century William & Mary Westmorland Carved Oak Court Cupboard

A late Seventeenth Century William and Mary period carved oak court cupboard from Westmorland. The court cupboad breaks down into two sections; the upper section has a top rail boldly carved with a scrolling motif and the date 1692 along with the initials B T D above a pair of pendant finials and a carved central panel flanked by a pair of carved cupboard doors which open to reveal ample storage. The lower section has two panelled cupboard doors above a further central door again opening to reveal lots of storage space. The court cupboard is raised on stile feet.

The court cupboard's carving is typical of carved oak furniture made in Westmorland and the Lake District during the late Seventeenth Century. The carved decorative motifs with their interlaced designs and bold rosettes are typical of the region and the confinement of the carved ornamentation to the upper section with boldly moulded stiles and rails in the lower section is also typical of the area. For similar examples see Chinnery pp. 490-493.

The carved initials either celebrate a marriage or are simply those of the head of the household.

Literature

V. Chinnery Oak (1979) Furniture, The British Tradition, pp. 490-93