Arcading of oak, consisting of a cornice carved with bands of leaf and dentil ornament, supported by three pilasters each decorated with floral scrollwork and suspended by ribands. French, ca. 1500-1550.

Arcading of oak, consisting of a cornice carved with bands of leaf and dentil ornament, supported by three pilasters each decorated with floral scrollwork and suspended by ribands. Between the pilasters are two round arches ornamented with cusps and outlined by heavy mouldings, which unite with the other mouldings running upwards into the cornice. The spandrils are filled in with vases and floral scrollwork. On the back is a pilaster in the centre, similar to the one in front.

Purchased from Emile Peyre of 146 Avenue Malakoff, Paris for £150. Listed as 'wormeaten, split and portions missing'.

This panel was formerly in the collection of Emile Peyre (1824-1904), a notable Parisian collector of French medieval and renaissance artefacts. In 1895 the South Kensington Museum (renamed the V&A in 1900), bought over 300 pieces of furniture and woodwork from him, (as well as sculpture and metalwork), at a cost of £11,878. 16s. 9d.

Listed in Peyre's house as no. 91 in a typed version of the 'Inventory of the contents rooms [sic] containing that part of Monsieur Peyre's Collection, iron-work and wood-work which he is willing to sell. The rooms are all on the ground floor of the house.' The inventory is numbered 1-329, with description and price, arranged by room; it was drawn up in early March 1895 by Thomas Armstrong (Director for Art 1881-98) and Caspar Purdon Clarke (Assistant Director and from 1896 Director of the Art Museum, later Director of the Metropolitan Museum, New York).

Located in the room marked G in an annotated sketch plan of the ground floor of Peyre's house, which apparently accompanied a letter dated 28/2/1895 from Armstrong to Major General Sir John Donnelly (secretary of the Science and Art Department).

673:1-1895