France-Late 1700's/Early 1800s

A Pair of Antique French Orangerie Doors  - Condition: Minor age cracks to wood, rubs, nicks; loss of wood to one side where hardware would have been; all commensurate with age.  One door with frame, bronze hinges and hardware, back not painted; One without door frame; painted and finished out back; Age-Late 1700’s/ Early 1800’s
Orangeries date back to the mid 1500’s and housed orange trees originally, hence the name.  Their design advanced to resemble what we now refer to as a conservatory—usually an extension of the architecture of the main home.  They were rooms with multiple doors of glass, wood and or iron featuring indoor plants and trees.
These beautiful doors have had mirrors installed behind the Palladian style windows or muntins of the upper panels at some point in their history. There are stylized acanthus leaf motifs on each of the upper corners.  The raised and decorated painted wooden panels beneath the mirrored windows have ornamentation of beribboned laurel leaf swags with drops secured by ornamentation of buttons and bows.  The door without hardware and frame has a finished out back with indented raised panels.  The door with frame and bronze hardware has an unpainted back.