5ft 8” Victorian Anglo Indian Colonial Raj King Size Four Post Bed (Circa 1880

This is a fine quality antique Victorian Anglo-Indian four poster bed, of colonial Raj provenance, circa 1880, which fits either a custom size mattress up to 5ft 8” wide by 6ft 9” long (with the slats at their original height), or a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) with the slats lowered. Also benefitting from the choice of a finial post design or bar canopy roof design, in excellent original condition.

Summary:
• Item: Anglo-Indian four poster bed
• Circa: 1880
• Period: Victorian
• Provenance: India
• Wood: Sissoo
• Choice of finial posts or bar roof canopy
• Maximum mattress opening: 5ft 8” wide by 6ft 9” long
• Fits a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) if slats are lowered
• Luxury quality mattresses available
• Single tier structure
• Four elegant tapered & turned posts
• Floral carved crown
• Arched headboard with single floral carved panel
• Turned spindles to headboard & footboard
• Moulded side rails & frame
• Stunning quality carvings
• Turned legs
• Dismantles for easy transportation and access
• Original polish & patination
• Rich dark red & brown colours
• Excellent original condition
• Muslin draping service available
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14-day UK returns policy

Description:
This is a fine quality antique Victorian Anglo-Indian four poster bed, of colonial Raj provenance, circa 1880, which fits either a custom size mattress up to 5ft 8” wide by 6ft 9” long (with the slats at their original height), or a UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long) with the slats lowered. If you prefer to fit a standard UK king size mattress (5ft wide by 6ft 6” long), this is possible by lowering the slats (please see section “Lowering the Slats” below for further information).

The roof design of this Anglo-Indian bed can be changed; you have the choice of setting finials on top of the posts, or a bar canopy (please see pictures) – the bed comes with both options.

The level of detail and craftmanship displayed in the materials, construction and carving of this Victorian four poster bed is of a high standard. The headboard incorporates a single floral pierced fretwork carved panel, flanked by turned spindles, with decorative moulding running the length of the moulded headboard frame. A decorative floral pierced fretwork carved crown sits atop of the headboard.

The Anglo-Indian 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 turned & tapered posts terminated on finials.

The king size four poster bed terminates on substantial turned legs. This Victorian bed displays beautiful carvings throughout – even the bolt caps to the frame are carved into flower heads. The superstructure also lends itself to being dressed with romantic fabric drapes.

Retaining the original polish and patination, this colonial bed boasts a rich dark red-brown colour, with a satin French polish finish. The Anglo-Indian 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. 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).

Such furniture was also called “campaign furniture”, which was used on expeditions within the British colonies. Further information can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_furniture

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 (Using Canopy) = 206.5cm / 81¼” / 6ft 9¼”
External Height (Using Finials) = 216.5cm / 85¼” / 7ft 1¼”
External Width = 182cm / 71⅝” / 5ft 11⅝”
External Length = 236cm / 92⅞” / 7ft 8⅞”
Headboard Height (Including Crown) = 158cm / 62¼” / 5ft 2¼”
Headboard Height (Excluding Crown) = 119cm / 46⅞” / 3ft 10⅞”
Footboard Height = 89.5cm / 35¼” / 2ft 11¼”
Height from Floor to Top of Side Rails = 61.5cm / 24¼” / 2ft 0¼”
Side Rail Length = 203cm / 79⅞” / 6ft 7⅞”
Side Rail Depth = 12.5cm / 5”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats not lowered):
Length = 213cm / 83⅞” / 6ft 11⅞”
Width (Slats) = 164cm / 64½” / 5ft 4½”
Width (Including Side Rails) = 173cm / 68⅛” / 5ft 8⅛”

Maximum Mattress Opening (slats lowered):
Length = 213cm / 83⅞” / 6ft 11⅞”
Width = 160cm / 63” / 5ft 3”

Condition Report:
This is a fine quality antique Anglo-Indian four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, 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. It is rare to find antique four poster beds which will fit a modern standard 5ft king size mattress. The four-poster bed assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. This Anglo-Indian four poster bed is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.

Price:
The price for this item is £8,450, 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 may still be able to fit a standard UK double size mattress, but it may be a tight fit on the width. It just depends on how much “give” there is in your mattress to enable it to fit into a 4ft 4⅝” width. It is therefore recommended that a custom size mattress be supplied, to ensure a comfortable fit. It is recommended the custom size mattress should measure 4ft 4” wide by 6ft 3” long, if the slats are to be lowered.

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.

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 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.

Ref. A257 / 104074

Condition report:

This is a fine quality antique Anglo-Indian four poster bed, of colonial Raj Anglo-Indian origin, circa 1880, 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. It is rare to find antique four poster beds which will fit a modern standard 5ft king size mattress. The four-poster bed assembles together and all bolts and screws are in good condition. This Anglo-Indian four poster bed is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.