The teak wood carvings on a Manhattan townhouse’s front door tell an ancient epic story

At the foot of East 58th Street is Sutton Square—a jewel box of a cul-de-sac overlooking the East River and flanked by luxurious townhouses. All of the townhouses—they share a private garden with another group of homes on Sutton Place, one of which is the official residence of the secretary-general of the United Nations—are architectural gems. Most were 19th century middle-class brownstones redeveloped and fancied up in the 1920s for elite New Yorkers with last names like Vanderbilt, Morgan, and Havemeyer. But 6 Sutton Square, on the south side, has something special. Behind an iron fence and framed by a Georgian-Neoclassical entryway is an elaborately carved door made of solid teak. The carvings, done by an Indonesian craftsman, according to a sales document written by the current owner—set a scene. There’s a regal-looking man and woman, peacocks, pigs, and mythological creatures—all set against a backdrop of swirling flower stems, petals, and rosettes. What story is the door…