We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is an Overdoor?

By Lori Kilchermann
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,026
Share

An overdoor, also known as a supraporte in German or sopraporte in Italian, is a decorative item typically mounted between ornamental or architectural mouldings over a doorway. Often nothing more than a shelf fashioned between two mouldings, an overdoor can be used as a place to display vases of flowers or other objects. An overdoor is also a common location to display a family's crest, adding a sense of prestige and elegance to a typically otherwise forgotten area of a home. Originally produced in Europe and the Baltic countries, the decorative pieces also lent styling cues to the fireplace in the form of overmantles, which are used as an area to place a bust or vases on a fireplace mantle.

Often used to decorate the typically ignored area over a doorway, an overdoor typically displays the work of a very talented woodcarver. Typically contracted to carve an image that represents the family's business, likes, or traits, a woodcarver creates a large, ornamental piece. This carving is a way to introduce the family or the residents of a certain building to passersby when placed on the exterior side of the door. The overdoor is commonly painted in a manner that sheds a decorative light on the building, door, or the surrounding architecture. In fact, some of the earliest versions of the door-top decoration were intended to ward-off bad fortune and evil spirits.

Many older versions of the overdoor have been used to decorate a home's interior. Hung on a wall in a manner similar to a painting, the overdoor is used as a focal point and a conversation starter. In some instances, the overdoor is a family heirloom that is being displayed in a more modernistic fashion on the wall. Flowers, landscapes, and other agricultural images were the most common types of images on the earliest versions of the decorative pieces. Dogs, animals, and hunting scenes are also common depictions of the carvings and paintings.

On some specific types of architecture, stone carvings are also used to create the overdoor. Made of granite or marble, the heavy carvings must be placed on top of very sturdy framework. This limits the use of the hefty carvings to stone, block, or brick structures that can support the heavy objects. The decorative pieces have been used in all areas of the world to some degree, evolving to encompass all walks of life. When marketed as an ornamental-only component, some of the most popular themes are depictions of animals, dogs, and hunting as well.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-an-overdoor.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.