Rustic Vernacular Door with Frame, Hautes-Alpes, France - 19th Century

Description

Vernacular door dating to the 19th century, originating from Hautes-Alpes in southeastern France and preserved together with its substantial wooden frame. The door is assembled from individual horizontal boards and retains a deeply aged dark painted surface, punctuated by numerous hand-forged nail heads. A simple iron ring handle and keyhole remain visible on the front, while the irregular, roughly worked frame gives the ensemble a particularly direct architectural character.

The reverse reveals the construction more clearly, with vertical wooden boards, iron strap hinges and the original lock case remaining exposed. Differences in colour between the darkened front and largely untreated reverse, together with worn paint, tool marks, cracks and irregularities in the timber, record its prolonged use rather than concealing it. Preserving the surrounding frame makes the piece especially legible as an architectural element rather than simply a detached door. All our rustic furniture has undergone a two-cycle preventive woodworm treatment for long-term care.

GW4725