French Carved Oak Gothic Style Overdoor, Circa 1910

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These Gothic-style carvings of this French overdoor are quite masterful, most noticeably the depth, such as the fleur de lys … Read more These Gothic-style carvings of this French overdoor are quite masterful, most noticeably the depth, such as the fleur de lys with arcading and trefoils behind it. This hand-carved panel, which dates to circa 1910, has been bleached more recently, allowing the motifs to gain more prominence. It most likely would have been above a door in a room with similar Gothic-patterned wall panels.

The fleur de lys rests at the apex of an inflexed ogee arch with a thick cavetto. Six curled leaves, known as crockets, rise from the top edges of the molding, each perfectly aligned with the lancet arches that run behind the fleur de lys-topped arch. Barbed tracery embellishes the foremost arch, seemingly emanating from the central monogram on a shaped shield over a quatrefoil. The cipher-like “LPM” could indicate that the overdoor was commissioned for a member of the aristocracy or religious order, as the use of intertwined letters was often used in the late 1800s/early 1900s to denote a position of authority. Although our Gothic-style architectural can still be used as an overdoor, it would also make a stunning headboard and would fit a queen-size bed very well. See less