Helen Shiner Nov 24, 2014:

@Alex Please let us know what this turns out to be.

Alex Green (X) (asker) Nov 24, 2014:

Thank you! Thanks for the continued thoughts, Wendy, Orla and Bill. I'm going with Helen's line of reasoning, but I'll be interested to see what the client says. If I hear back, I'll let everybody know.

billcorno (X) Nov 21, 2014:

Makulatur In Googling "Papierauflagen" & "bau" a website came up with old buildings and a glossary that had "Makulatur" as "duenne Papierauflagen, die eine gleichmaessig neutralen Untergrund schaffen." So a paper layer (or subsurface) could fit.

https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/nbdpfbw/arti...

oa_xxx (X) Nov 21, 2014:

@Wendy I'm not too sure either! There is a picture of another door too - unfortunately not a close up but you can get some idea of it if you zoom in. Even if either of them are the door in question, there is nothing obvious (to me anyway!) that is made of paper or papier mache etc. - bzw. several things could be! As the German doesn't tell us much it's probably safer not to venture too far from it tho, I'd maybe ask the client about it as well. As a tourist, I would personally be quite interested to find out what it's referring to - even just a few words extra!

Wendy Streitparth Nov 20, 2014:

I don't think the door depicted in orla's link can be the right door. In the text it says the "Hauptportal", whereas the picture is of the "Eingang aus der Vorhalle ins Schiff".

Alex Green (X) (asker) Nov 20, 2014:

Thanks! That's a brilliant find, Orla - thank you! If you'd like me to split the points, do post an answer (I won't grade this question until tomorrow lunchtime, if that helps).

Thank you, Helen - moving us in the right direction as always!

Thanks also to Phil for the additional research, and Oliver and Wendy for the suggested solutions.

Having been through all of this now, I think Orla and Helen have it, and I'll grade on that basis (a query has been winged off to the client, but they're not expected to get back to us until mid-Dec... thanks again for the contributions, everyone!

Helen Shiner Nov 20, 2014:

@orla That's a good find. I haven't had time to do any indepth research (deadline imminent!). I do think the GER text is vague and needs explanation, but that might be at the root of it.

oa_xxx (X) Nov 20, 2014:

http://books.google.de/books?id=GDByGWicb7wC&printsec=frontc... p. 73

"…that woodworkers commonly reinforced joints, small flaws, or entire panels with linen in order to stabilize wooden substrates intended for painting. Other woodworkers lined their panels, or onlays, with paper or leather for the same purpose, as seen, for example, in the exterior side of the doors of the Palacio de los Infantes in Granada.
Although toppo intarsia was relatively inexpensive, it may have been too costly for many people. In the late fifteenth century, instead of being fabricated in wood, the patterns were printed on paper with woodblocks. Separate sheets, bearing different woodcuts, could be applied in varying configurations to cassone fronts and perhaps other furniture types."
I wonder if it could be something like this?! I would suggest that both the source text and the translation could do with a few more words to explain this more clearly - even the addition of "decorative" or something would be helpful! As it stands, I would use Helen's suggestion below.

Helen Shiner Nov 20, 2014:

@orla Having seen the pics and now reading that, it makes me wonder whether someone has mistaken the fine intarsia work as paper work of some description. Anyway, here's a definition of intarsia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intarsia

oa_xxx (X) Nov 20, 2014:

More detailed description of the door - (from Phil's link below) - is this the right one? "Das Portal ist im Halbrund geschlossen; es wird flankiert von Pilastern mit Diamantsockeln und ionisierenden Kapitellen und bekrönt von einer aufgelösten Segmentverdachung. In der Lücke eine Nische mit der Figur des Patrons. Die Türe architektonisch reich gegliedert mit Bogenfüllungen und Vollsäulen. Beschlägornamente und Intarsien in Blumen- und Rollwerkmotiven; datiert 1647. Das ‚Vorzeichen‘ ist zu einem eigentlichen Vorbau mit Beinhaus ausgebildet; grätige Kreuzgewölbe."

Helen Shiner Nov 20, 2014:

@ orla Great pics, but they don't seem to show the door in question. The ones shown appear to be carved.

oa_xxx (X) Nov 20, 2014:

Pictures here http://www.kirchen-online.org/kirchen-und-kapellen-in-graubu...

but they havent really helped me understand what is meant by Papierauflagen..!

philgoddard Nov 19, 2014:

There's a description of the doors on pages 83-4 here:
http://www.kirchen-online.org/downloads/poeschel---disentis-...
but it makes no mention of paper.

Helen Shiner Nov 19, 2014:

@Alex It sounds like paper overlay or lining to (presumably) the inside face of the door.