HISTORY OF OUR COLONIAL / ANGLO INDIAN FOUR POSTER BEDS

History of our Colonial/ Anglo Indian four poster beds

The style of the Anglo Indian Colonial beds 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 a the advantage of only minimally expanding and contracting when exposed to extremes in temperature and humidity. They were resistant to woodwork, termites, and the occasional splash of seawater.

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