Object Description
This is a fabulous quality antique early Victorian Anglo-Indian colonial super king four poster bed, inspired by Regency design, circa 1850, with a black ebonised finish, which fits a standard UK super king size mattress (6ft wide x 6ft 6” long), in excellent original condition.
Summary:
• Item: Super King Four Poster Bed
• Circa: 1850
• Period: Victorian
• Provenance: India
• Wood: Teak
• Fits a standard UK super king mattress (6ft wide x 6ft 6” long)
• Maximum mattress opening: 6ft 6” wide by 6ft 0⅜” long
• Inspired by Regency period designs
• Luxury quality custom mattresses available
• Single tier structure
• Four elegant tapering spiral-reeded posts
• Detachable carved corbel finials
• Bar canopy
• Foliate carved crown
• Pierced carved & reeded headboard panel
• Open footboard
• Reeded side rails & frame
• Stunning quality carvings
• Fluted tapering block legs
• Spade block feet
• Dismantles for easy transportation and access
• Black ebonised colour
• Excellent original condition
• Muslin draping service available
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14 days UK returns policy
Description:
This is a fabulous quality antique early Victorian Anglo-Indian colonial super king four poster bed, inspired by Regency design, circa 1850, with a black ebonised finish, which fits a standard UK super king size mattress (6ft wide x 6ft 6” long), in excellent original condition. The bed can be used with or without the canopy, as see in the pictures. It was popular during this period to emulate the architectural and furniture design in England, within the British colonies at that time.
This bed will fit a standard UK super king size mattress size (6ft wide by 6ft 6” long) if the slats are not lowered (please see section “Lowering the Slats” below for further information). The maximum mattress opening is 6ft 6” wide by 6ft 0⅜” long; therefore, we could also supply a wider mattress than 6ft, if preferred.
The super king four poster bed incorporates a single-tier structure, with a panelled headboard, topped with a splayed “broken” pediment, incorporating a turned finial in the centre, flanked by scroll shaped corbels, interspersed by a bank of reeded horizontal and vertical rails. The central pierced panel below is decorated with fine floral pierced detail, flanked by two solid moulded panels.
At the other end of the super king four poster bed, the footboard is open. The head and footboard are united by four sturdy reeded rails, which sit above four tapering, reeded legs, which sit on spade feet. Above the bed frame, four reeded tapering columns, stand at the corners of the bed. At the top of the posts sit detachable carved corbel finials, with a bar canopy above.
The super king four poster bed is finished in a black ebony style colour, with a satin finish. The bed is constructed of teak and has a superior structure. This bed would look stunning in either a contemporary or traditional setting. It dismantles for easy transportation and we can provide affordable good quality custom mattresses. This is a superior quality centrepiece for any bedroom and is ideal for those who prefer a wider bed.
Provenance:
The style of these bed dates from 1840 until 1947 (until Indian Independence). The beds were constructed for the British Raj, their families and the British Military in Colonial India. The beds were designed to collapse and be transported “flat pack” so could easily be moved whilst on military exercises and to their summerhouses in the hills. They were made when the Raj was at its height. The size, style and quality of the bed depict the status of the occupier or the military rank of the owner. They were made from the finest wood usually Mahogany, Teak or Sissoo wood (a member of the rose wood family).
Teak and sissoo wood were used extensively in the construction of these colonial four-poster beds because they had the advantage of only minimally expanding and contracting when exposed to extremes in temperature and humidity. They were resistant to woodworm, termites, and the occasional splash of seawater.
External Dimensions:
External Height = 194.5cm / 76½” / 6ft 4½”
External length (Canopy) = 220cm / 86⅝” / 7ft 2⅝”
External width (Canopy) = 200cm / 78¾”/ 6ft 6¾”
Headboard height (Including Crown) = 136.5cm / 53¾”/ 4ft 5¾”
Headboard height (Excluding Crown) = 109.5cm / 43⅛” / 3ft 7⅛”
Footboard height = 62.5cm / 24⅝”/ 2ft 0⅝”
Height from floor to top of side rails = 62cm / 24⅜” / 2ft 0⅜”
Height from floor to bottom of side rails = 53cm / 20⅞” / 1ft 8⅞”
Side rail depth = 9.5cm / 3¾”
Side rail length = 198cm / 78” / 6ft 6”
Maximum Mattress Opening (slats not lowered):
Length = 199cm / 78⅜” / 6ft 0⅜”
Width (slats) = 183cm / 72” / 6ft
Width (including side rails) = 198cm / 78” / 6ft 6”
Maximum Mattress Opening (slats lowered):
Length = 199cm / 78⅜” / 6ft 0⅜”
Width = 181cm / 71¼” / 5ft 11¼”
Condition Report:
This is a fabulous quality antique early Victorian Anglo-Indian colonial super king four poster bed, inspired by Regency design, circa 1850, with a black ebonised finish, which fits a standard UK super king size mattress (6ft wide x 6ft 6” long), in excellent original condition. Nominal old use marks to the leading edges and polish but nothing significant considering the age of the item. The bed frame and joints have been cleaned and glued to ensure the bed frame is solid in joint. The bed has been cleaned and polished by hand in our workshop to a professional standard, therefore the colour and patination of the timber is of an excellent standard. The carvings are all intact, with no missing pieces or damage beyond the usual signs of age and use. The bed assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. The super king four poster bed is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.
Lowering the Slats:
The benefit of lowering the slats is that you get to see more of the headboard carvings even though you are using a modern 10″ – 12″ depth mattress. The original Victorian mattresses would have only been 2″ – 3″ deep. The slats are lowered by around 3″ in height. By lowering the slats, the width of the mattress will be reduced by 1″ in total.
It is advised that 1″ should be removed from the mattress width dimension, if the slats are to be lowered. Between 1″- 3″ (in total) should be removed from the above mattress length dimension to allow the mattress to comfortably fit on the bed between the headboard and footboard.
If you wanted to lower the slats, a standard UK king sizes mattress would fit, but there would be a small gap of 3” between the mattress and inside of the side rail either side of the mattress. However, this small gap could be filled with bedding and space to took duvet covers in.
Our custom mattresses start from £500. The actual dimensions of the custom mattress will depend on whether the slats are lowered or not.
Mattresses:
Because these beds are individually unique and do not always conform to modern mattress dimensions, we also supply a range of customised luxury quality mattresses for these beds starting from £450. Our mattresses are constructed of natural materials (silk, wool & cashmere) and are hand made in the UK. The mattresses can have the corners removed so to maximise the mattress fit in the super-structure of bed. The price quoted does not include the mattress. Please enquire for a mattress quote.
Draping Service
We offer a separate draping service whereby we can dress the bed with any fabric of choice. This service can consist of the basic fabric being wrapped around the canopy, to hanging curtains or, providing a dressed solid roof with hung curtains. Apart from the superior style and presence, this four-poster bed had a practical purpose. The bed would have originally been decorated with a light muslin cotton material to prevent the mosquitos from biting the occupants in bed. The advertised price does not include drapes. Please contact us for a quote.
Customer Service:
We offer customer satisfaction through the following services:
• Free delivery to England, Wales & Southern Scotland*
• Free 14 Day Returns
• Full money back assurance
• Worldwide shipping
• Full insurance of items in transit
Further Information:
For more information or photographs please email or call us.
Office: 01829 458 070
Julian: 07960 738 212
Yola: 07971 882 567
Customers outside the UK should call:
Office: 00 44 1829 458 070
Julian: 00 44 7960 738 212
Yola: 00 44 7971 882 567
Email: [email protected]
Free UK Delivery*:
We offer free delivery to mainland England, Wales, and Southern Scotland (anywhere south of Stirling). *We do not offer free delivery to locations north of Stirling in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or any British Islands off the mainland; for example, the Isle of Man, Isle of White and Channel Islands. If you live in one of the areas where we do not offer free delivery, please contact us for a delivery quote before purchasing the item. Delivery will be made by our specialised antique furniture delivery service, or in some cases we will use a courier service for distant deliveries.
Delivery times are usually 1-4 weeks depending on location; we aim to deliver the majority of items within 2 weeks. All items are professionally packaged and fully insured in transit; therefore, we can assure you, your items will be securely protected in transit and arrive safely with you.
Once you have purchased an item, we will contact you by email and/or telephone and provide you with a provisional delivery date, in order for you to confirm if it is suitable for you. Once you have confirmed you can accept delivery on the provisional delivery date, we will book the delivery in with our shippers and it then becomes a confirmed delivery date.
We will also provide you with our shippers’ contact details, in case you need to contact the driver on the day of delivery. It’s helpful if you can provide us with both the landline and mobile telephone number, in case the driver cannot reach you on one of the numbers on the day of delivery, they can contact you on your alternative number.
In order to be able to offer you free delivery, it is based on a 1-man delivery only. For any large items that require 2 people to lift the item, we ask that you are available at the time of delivery to be able to give our shipper a lift off the van and into your house with the item. If you are not able to lift items yourself, we ask that you have someone on hand at the time of delivery to assist our shipper with lifting the item.
Free 14 Days UK Returns & Refunds:
A free 14-day “no quibble” returns policy (from the date you receive the item) is available if you are not happy with this item. We will collect the item free of charge from you (we do not charge a return fee / collection fee). You will be given a full refund as long as the item is returned in the same condition. We will collect returns using our own specialist furniture delivery company. We will not accept returns via a courier service (due to experience of damaged items in transit). This refund policy only applies to deliveries to the UK.
UK Buyer Payment:
For UK buyers, we accept cash on collection or delivery; cheque, credit card, BACS (free bank to bank transfer) or PayPal. Payment is requested within 5 days of the sale. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered.
International Buyers:
If you live outside the UK and you would like to purchase this item, please contact us before purchasing it, so that we can obtain an accurate shipping quote and delivery lead-time. The shipping quote provided is a global estimate only. The actual shipping cost will vary by country and postcode. Due to the distances and costs involved with shipping outside the UK, a returns policy is therefore not available for international buyers. Before placing your order(s) please make sure this is the item for you. We request payment by bank transfer (we do not accept payment via PayPal, credit or debit cards for international purchases). Payment is requested within 10 days of the purchase. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered to our shippers. The advertised price of the item does not include the shipping cost, sales tax, import duty or custom fees.
Important information regarding PayPal payment:
We only accept payment from fully verified PayPal account holders with confirmed addresses only. Items will only be sent to the confirmed address registered in PayPal. If you purchase an item and your address is not confirmed, your payment will be refunded and the purchase cancelled. It only takes a few moments to verify and confirm your PayPal details.
About the Seller:
This item is being sold by Yola Gray Antiques who is an accredited member of LAPADA (the UK’s largest Trade Association of Professional Art and Antique Dealers) and CINOA. CINOA is the world association of Art & Antique dealer associations. All LAPADA & CINOA members abide by their strict code of practice by adhering to reputable standards of quality, expertise and integrity.
Yola Gray has dealt in fine art and antique furniture for over 40 years. Yola Gray has a special interest in colonial furniture, specifically antique four poster beds. Yola Gray also provides a variety of fine English antique furniture, art and fabrics to clients in the UK, Europe and further afield.
Please visit the Yola Gray website at www.yolagray.com for further items and information.
Ref. A246/74534