Heritage Crime in Devon: Torbryan

The Torbryan panel before the theft.
Source: The Churches Conservation Trust

Medieval panels dating to the 15th century have been stolen from the church of Holy Trinity, Torbryan, Devon [Press release].

The oak screen with panels is one of the most important examples of its kind in the country. Its mid-15th-century painted panels represent a variety of saints and church dignitaries. The artistry is of a very high status, suggesting that the artist was specially commissioned to produce the panels for the screen. Even though some of the panels have been missing for many years the Torbryan screen represents an exceptionally complete survival from the late medieval period that escaped the worst excesses of the iconoclasts who took down most of the screens in the country during the reformation, especially those that included representations of saints.

No doubt this will appear on the market as part of an old European collection.