19th century English carved oak cabinet

19th century English carved oak cabinet
English, 19th Century
Height 179cm, width 203cm, depth 62cm
 
This solid oak cabinet was made in England in the 19th century. It is beautifully carved to depict numerous medieval-style scenes.
 
The top of the cabinet includes a large panel of a man blowing a horn among animals such as deer and dogs.
 
The frieze of the furniture piece is wide and presents three square panels with four-leaf clovers filled with animal-themed shields. Among the animals depicted are a deer and a lion. Two rectangular shapes join these together and are carved with swords, axes and similar animal-filled shields.
 
Each of the two doors portrays an animal scene. On the first, one can observe two herons among irises while a deer surrounded by a tree is carved on the second. An arched border frames both scenes. The hinges and handles are made from metal. The handle includes a maker’s mark ‘HARCOURT’. Both doors open to reveal a shelf.
 
The hinged doors are separated by three figures, each dressed in medieval-style clothing. They are shown doing various tasks such as archery or standing proud with a sword and spear.
 
The deep brown colouring of oak accentuates the carved detailing on the surface of this cabinet, making it a refined yet desirable storage piece.