A Pair of English Painted wood Dummy Boards first half 18th century

Overall good condition; the painted surface with small chips and losses with some bruises, marks, scratches and wear; nice cracquelure in places; areas of restoration to the paint; the reverse with areas of old worm; the female figure with a later small metal plate to the reverse which stabilizes an old vertical age crack; small chip to the headdress of the female figure; overall with wear to the extremities and with some minor age cracks.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Dummy boards, whose origins were in the Low Countries, were popular in England in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  They are often thought to have been used as fire-screens, but the heat from a fire would have damaged both the wood and the paint.  Rather, these trompe l'oiel figures were fanciful objects meant to deceive.  C. Graham, Dummy Boards and Chimney Boards, Aylesbury, 1988, p. 3, writes 'Arnold Houbraken, in 1719, describes how the artist Cornelius Bisschop painted cut-out wooden templates which could be placed in a corner or doorway in the hope of deceiving the unwary. One gentleman, for instance, placed a wooden maidservant at the door of his salon and the assembled company were much entertained by a guest who tried to tip her.' The boards were either hooked to the wall or put at a short distance from a wall, creating a shadow when light was cast on them; see also Macquoid and Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1983, rev. ed., vol  II, pp. 229-232, figs. 1-11, for a further discussion.

A similar pair of dummy boards was sold in these rooms, April 12-13, 1996, lot 280. ($16,000)