4ft 6” Victorian Anglo Indian Colonial Raj Double Size Bed (Circa 1880)

This is a fine quality antique Victorian double four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, which will fit a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” long), in excellent original condition.

Summary:
• Item: Victorian double four poster bed
• Circa: 1880
• Period: Victorian
• Provenance: India
• Wood: Sissoo Wood
• Maximum mattress opening: 4ft 8⅞” wide by 6ft 11⅝” long
• Fits a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” long)
• Luxury quality mattresses available
• Single tier structure
• Four elegant tapered barley twist posts
• Floral carved crown
• Gadroon moulded headboard
• Arched headboard with floral carved panel
• Turned spindles to headboard & footboard
• Moulded side rails & frame
• Stunning quality carvings
• Baluster turned legs
• Dismantles for easy transportation and access
• Original polish & patination
• Rich dark red & brown colour
• 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 double four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, which will fit a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” long), in excellent original condition. The level of detail and craftmanship displayed in the materials, construction and carving of this bed is second to none.

This Victorian four poster bed will fit a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” long) if the slats remain at their original height (please see section “Lowering the Slats” below for further information).

The headboard incorporates a floral pierced fretwork carved panel, flanked by turned spindles. An arched carved fretwork panel sits above, with decorative gadroon moulding running the length of the moulded headboard frame.

The Victorian double four poster bed incorporates elegant moulded side rails & frame side rails and footboard rail. The footboard incorporates multiple ring-turned spindles below a barley twist rail. Above the bed frame, four barley twist tapered posts support a protruding canopy.

The four-poster bed terminates on substantial baluster turned legs. This bed displays beautiful carvings throughout. The superstructure also lends itself to being dressed with romantic fabric drapes.

Retaining the original polish and patination, this colonial bed displays a rich red-brown colour, with a satin French polish finish. The Victorian double four poster bed is constructed of Sissoo wood 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 good quality custom mattresses if you prefer to have a larger mattress.

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 rosewood 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 = 220.5cm / 86¾” / 7ft 2¾”
External length = 230cm / 90½” / 7ft 6½”
External width (canopy) = 151cm / 59½” / 4ft 11½”
Headboard height (excluding crown) = 118cm / 46½” / 3ft 10½”
Headboard height (including crown) = 158cm / 62¼” / 5ft 2¼”
Footboard height = 89cm / 35” / 2ft 11”
Height from floor to top of side rails = 62.5cm / 24⅝” / 2ft 0⅝”
Side rail length = 203.5cm / 80⅛” / 6ft 8⅛”
Side rail depth = 12.5cm / 5”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats not lowered):
Length = 212.5cm / 83⅝” / 6ft 11⅝”
Width (slats) = 137cm / 54” / 4ft 6”
Width (including side rails) = 144.5cm / 56⅞” / 4ft 8⅞”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats lowered):
Length = 212.5cm / 83⅝” / 6ft 11⅝”
Width = 134.5cm / 53” / 4ft 5”

Condition Report:
This is a fine quality antique Victorian double four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, which will fit a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” 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 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 use. The bed assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. This Victorian double four poster bed is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.

Price:
The price for this item is £4,750, which includes free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland* and free 14-day returns.

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 double size mattress, which measures 4ft wide x 6ft 3” 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.

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.

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 45 years. Yola Gray has a special interest in colonial furniture, specifically Colonial 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. FFF6 / 106486

Condition report:

This is a fine quality antique Victorian double four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, which will fit a standard UK double size mattress (4ft 6” wide by 6ft 3” 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 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 use. The bed assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. This Victorian double four poster bed is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.