A CARVED GILTWOOD FOUR-FOLD SCREEN WITH FLEMISH TAPESTRY PANELS 16TH/17TH CENTURY TAPESTRY, FRAME MID/LATE 19TH CENTURY The 19th century Italian or French carved and gilded hinged frame with Renaissance style decoration of masks, caryatids, entrelac, fluted columns and leaf capitals, the tapestry, possibly Brussels, with emblematic figures above urns of fruit and beasts, the backs with engraved giltwood and damask fabric panels, the two end sections with gilt metal handleseach tapestry panels visible 201cm high, 49.5cm wide, the screen sections each 249cm high, 62cm wide, The use of tapestry for screens accords with the old description of tapestries as portable murals. However, whilst they were more moveable than the wall coverings and could function as room dividers, their inherent form made them more susceptible to damage with the result that few have survived- and if they have survived, it is usually because like this example they have been enclosed within the safety and protection of later frames.Typically they were woven as narrow panels with figures beneath baldaquins and within scrolling uprights. Often the figures depicted would be emblematic of a story- or a series of moral imperatives- see lot 98 Sotheby's Arts of Europe auction, London, 6th November, 2014- where the four figures represent Temperance, Prudence, Justice and Fortitude. In this example it would seem from the imbalance of the sexes- and the slightly confused Latin texts- that this may well originally have been part of a larger 6 or 8 panel screen. In its current form we see;1 Panel with female figure with martyrs palm, above a roaring big cat2 Panel with female figure with sword single section, Latin text above NON INFNIA PLAGENT and BELLA SEQUOR* CUP*** PRE*E, seated eagle below.3 Panel with female figure with martyrs palm, Latin text ALTA CERNO TERRENA SFERNIT(possibly a doggerel version of text from Livy- and SUA ET ALIENA ULCITUBORE, birds and carnivore below4 Panel from a biblical or mythological story, man standing over woman with winged cherub, snake biting the tail of a crocodile below.The depiction of a crocodile is unusual but not unknown. As well as typically being used as an emblematic detail for Africa in depictions of the Four Continents, crocodiles sometimes feature in Game park tapestries such as the late 16th century Flemish example sold £12,000, lot 123, Christies, Fine European Furniture, Sculpture, Tapestries And Carpets, London, 10th November 2005.For a similar screen see Sotheby's, New York, Fine French & Continental Furniture, 9th April 2008, Lot 14 ($18,750).