Part of a tabernacle frame
The forms of the cornice, arch, and pilasters on this tabernacle front were derived from furniture made in Antwerp in the mid-sixteenth century. The pilaster ornament, for example, resembles the ornament down the center of an Antwerp cabinet in the Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt-am-Main. The frame may originally have been fixed over a recess. The missing door probably had a painting on its front; the metal eyes in the cornice most likely held a curtain that could be drawn across the image to protect it.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.