Antique 5ft 10” Victorian William IV Design Anglo-Indian Colonial Raj King Size Four Poster Bed (Circa 1870)

Summary:

• Item: William IV design four poster bed
• Circa: 1870
• Period: Victorian
• Provenance: India
• Wood: Mahogany
• Maximum mattress opening: 5ft 10½” wide by 7ft 1” long
• Fits a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) if slats are lowered
• Luxury quality mattresses available
• Single tier structure
• Bar shape canopy
• Four barley twist tapered & turned posts
• William IV design floral scroll arch shaped headboard pediment
• Circular floral carved pierced headboard panel
• Arched headboard with triple floral carved panels
• Large floral tulip shaped vertical upper leg supports
• Moulded side rails & frame
• Stunning quality carvings
• Floral tulip shaped carved legs
• Dismantles for easy transportation and bedroom access
• Original polish & patination
• Rich dark red & brown colours
• Excellent original condition
• Muslin draping service available
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy

Description:

This is a fine quality antique Victorian William IV design four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1870, which fits either a custom size mattress, up to 5ft 10” wide by 6ft 10” long (with the slats at their original height), or a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) with the slats lowered, in excellent original condition.

The style of this Victorian four poster bed was influenced by design elements from the William IV period (1830 – 1837) in Great Britain.  It was common for furniture designs to emulated across the British colonies during the Victorian period. This is evident by the scroll shaped pediment on the headboard, the circular shaped pieced panels to the head and footboard, and elaborate tulip carved vertical supports to the four legs.

The level of detail and craftsmanship displayed in the materials, construction and carving of this Victorian four poster bed is second to none.  The headboard incorporates four circular shaped pierced fretwork carved panels, with floral carved supports above and below, flanked by vertical bars, running the length of the moulded headboard frame.  A decorative William IV design floral scroll arch shaped headboard pediment sits atop of the headboard.

The William IV design four poster bed incorporates elegant moulded side rails & frame side rails and footboard rail.  The footboard incorporates a heavy turned horizontal rail, above four circular shaped pierced fretwork carved panels, with floral carved supports above and below, flanked by vertical bars.  The head and footboard design are matched and the bed frame corners are flanked by stunning floral tulip shaped vertical columns below the posts.  Above the bed frame, four barley twist & tapered posts support a “drop-down” bar shape canopy.  The superstructure also lends itself to being dressed with romantic fabric drapes.

The king size four poster bed terminates on substantial turned legs, which are decorated with further floral tulip shaped carvings.  This Victorian four poster bed displays beautiful carvings throughout.  Four small rectangular shaped moulded panels cover the large 12-inch steel bolts, that secure the head and footboard to the side rails.

Retaining the original polish and patination, this colonial bed boasts a rich red-brown colour, with a satin French polish finish. The William IV design four poster bed is constructed of mahogany and has a superior structure. This colonial four poster bed would look stunning in either a contemporary or traditional setting.  It dismantles for easy transportation and we can provide luxury custom size mattresses.  This is a superior quality centrepiece for any bedroom and is ideal for those who prefer a larger and 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!

Further information relating to associated antique campaign furniture can be found by clicking on the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_furniture

External Dimensions:

• External height = 221cm / 87” / 7ft 3”
• External length = 230.5cm / 90¾” / 7ft 6¾”
• External width (canopy) = 179.5cm / 70⅝” / 5ft 10⅝”
• External width (headboard) = 181cm / 71¼” / 5ft 11¼”
• Headboard height (including crown) = n/a
• Headboard height (excluding crown) = 108.5cm / 42¾” / 3ft 6¾”
• Footboard height = 89.5cm / 35¼” / 2ft 11¼”
• Height from floor to top of side rails = 46.5cm / 18¼” / 1ft 6¼”
• Side rail length = 202cm / 79½” / 6ft 7½”
• Side rail depth = 11.5cm / 4½”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats not lowered):

• Length = 216cm / 85” / 7ft 1”
• Width (slats) = 168cm / 66⅛” / 5ft 6⅛”
• Width (including side rails) = 179cm / 70½” / 5ft 10½”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats lowered):

• Length = 216cm / 85” / 7ft 1”
• Width = 165.5cm / 65⅛” / 5ft 5⅛”

Condition Report:

This is a fine quality antique Victorian William IV design four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1870, which fits either a custom size mattress, up to 5ft 10” wide by 6ft 10” long (with the slats at their original height), or a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) with the slats lowered, in excellent original condition.  Nominal old use marks to the leading edges and polish but nothing significant considering the age of the item.  The headboard and footboard bed joints have been cleaned and glued to ensure the bed frame is solid in joint.  The bed has been cleaned and French 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 condition related wear.  The four-poster bed easily assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. This William IV design 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.

The mattress shown on the bed in the pictures is a standard UK king size mattress, which measures 5ft wide x 6ft 6” long.

If you wanted to lower the slats, you will still be able to fit a standard UK double size mattress, but it may be a tight fit on the width.  If you prefer to have a longer mattress, we can supply one to up to 6ft 10” in length (we advise leaving between 2 -3-inch gap in total. to allow for mattress fit and mattress adjustment between the headboard and footboard).

Our custom mattresses start from £450. 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.

Terms & Conditions:

Before you purchase this item, please ensure you have read and are in agreement with our Terms & Conditions of Sale. If you have any questions regarding our Terms & Conditions of Sale, please contact us to discuss them, before purchasing this item.

Ref. A275 / 108258