How do I hang a heavy carved panel?

Most antique panels require professional wall fixings or custom metal brackets designed to distribute the substantial weight of old hardwood safely. Avoid relying on simple picture wire attached to old frames, as centuries-old timber can strain standard fixings.

How do I distinguish sixteenth-century work from revival pieces?

Sixteenth-century carvings typically show adze marks, irregular hand-cut backing boards, and distinct tool signatures left by early joiners. Nineteenth-century Gothic revival pieces often display more uniform machine-assisted sawing on the reverse while imitating earlier styles. Examine the shrinkage cracks and fastener holes, which reveal the true age of the timber assembly.

Where were these panels originally placed?

Many panels originated as structural elements within ecclesiastical altarpieces, timber-framed wall panelling, or grand domestic furniture such as cupboards and settles. Later nineteenth-century pieces were frequently designed specifically as standalone wall art or architectural overmantles.