Antique Bed

ANTIQUE BEDS Before 1500
In the early Middle Ages, empire oak buffet the antique bed was often no more than a shallow chest with curtains hung around it for privacy, biscuit figurer fra ar 1800 in a room that served as living quarters. In colder areas, antique brass chinese folding table shutters took the place of drapes:
’shut beds’ survived in peasant communities until the 19thC.
15thC bed with tester suspended from the ceiling.
Gothic beds : A French miniature of about 1400 shows a bedstead with a headboard of linenfold panelling; a tester (overhead canopy) has curtains hanging from it. Beside the bed is a baby’s cradle on rockers with head
and foot composed of turned spindles. In Italy, edward viii cup woods ivory ware where the Gothic style was not so popular and the climate was warmer, what was the drug jar with bryony flowers and parsley leaves used for in the 15th century the claustrophobic tester and curtains were used less often.
Few early examples have survived, picture of settee carved in birds but local woods would have been used, 1958 stickley table chairs typically oak in France, brocot calendar walnut or pine in Italy. The materials used for drapes varied, value 1856 quaker chest of drawers with mirror but were regarded as the most valuable part of the bed.
The tester was panelled in wood or covered with cloth over a wooden framework, antique furniture that had lion heads information and suspended by cords from roof timbers.
Crude bed-frame jointed with mortiseand-tenon, whatnot furniture strung with strips of leather for resilience. Panelled head and footboards.
Above right, antique french alcove bed corner of a bedframe. Dotted lines indicate mortise-and-tenon joints; springing for mattress provided by strips of leather, west indies dining chairs interwoven and nailed to rails. Right, japanese enamel bronze 19th c vase dragon face using similar construction, yew chest with military style brass handles but alternative
method of springing by threading cords through holes drilled at an angle in rails, isfahan prayer rug and interweaving them. Both methods continued in use, walnut dresser antique in country areas especially, antique prie dieu until the 19thC.
In France, 19th century norwegian furniture panels of headboard carved with linenfold or a heraldic device, antique roll top and often painted. In Italy, dining chair green leather cushion back maurice less carving, william and mary oyster veneer bureau more painting.
When not painted, antique marquetry writing slope wood was varnished or waxed.
‘linenfold’ or ‘parchment’ pattern, candlestick, 1800, antique, silver of which endless variations occur. Used vertically on headboards and footboards of beds, value of an art deco c chair northern Europe, drop leaf desks, mother of pearl inlay late-15thC and 16thC revived in 19thC.
BEDS About 1500-1630
Engraved designs for bed by J.A. Du Cerceau, small occasional table with drawer about 1560, antique square drop leaf table with hinged centre leaf
Renaissance bed: The four-poster bed is known from paintings to have existed in Venice 1490-1500. From then on, gold sailor watch pendant 1800’s the influence of classical architecture is often evident in the capitals of the bedposts. Low beds, buffet cupboard lancashire with headboards and footboards, central burner 18th century lamp were made with or without testers in some areas, claw foot oak drop front desk Italy especially.
Local timbers: Oak in France, antique french drum table Germany, antique bergere chairs Netherlands; walnut in Italy, sales 2009 french furniture Spain. The mattress, mahogany biedermeier british blockade in Scandinavia and Germany especially, antique double sided buffet was often filled with feathers or down (eiderdown).
Early ‘four-posters’ unlike later types so called had four posts on pedestal bases, french antique, round back, upholstered chair holding up a tester joined to them with tenons and secured by pegs, epergne reproductions but easily dismantled. The bed itself was separate and similar to the Gothic type (p. 190). In the Netherlands, circa 1776 antique sideboard beds were sometimes built into the corner of a room, antique flemish twist rocking chair with a single post at the exposed angle and a headboard integral with the panelling of the walls.
Mythological figures in carved and painted decoration, drop leaf round hall table carved strapwork in the Renaissance style (p. 191) lingering on in the Netherlands and Germany until well into the seventeen hundreds.
Unpainted wood was oiled and waxed or varnished.
Completely authentic beds of this period are very rare and expensive, writing slope oyster veneer and anything that appears to be going at bargain price is automatically suspect. Most of those that appear on the market are either downright
reproductions made at any time from the early-19th century onwards, value of antique english sterling silver tea kettle with spirit lamp or are made up, tin glazed wedgewood using fragments taken from furniture (not necessarily beds) or interior woodwork.
Engraved design for bed by Vredeman de Vries, bedroom chair with hidden commode about 1580.

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