Damask Beds and Bed Frames

A good pair of antique 18th century French Provincial cherry four post tester beds, circa 1780. This very near identical pair of antique French four poster beds, both are full tester beds...

The Faringdon House, Chippendale Period, Mahogany, Claret Red Damask, Tester Bed Incorporating The Arms Of The Dukes Of Hamilton, The Royal Banner Of Scotland & Tree Of Life, sold with new custom-made, luxury, pocket sprung, king-sized mattress 5ft, 150cm wide - With the Royal Banner of The Royal Arms of Scotland In The Tester, the Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Hamilton in the Head Curtain & Tree Of Life In the Bedspread: all Gold, Silver & Polychrome Embroidered. - ‘ I can remember, during the tedious or frightening but always sleepless nights of fire-watchings in wartime London, that the place I longed to be in most intensely was the Red bedroom at Faringdon, with its crackling fire, its Bessarabian carpet with bunchy flowers, and above all its four-post bed, whence from beneath a huge fat fluffy old-fashioned quilt one can gaze out at the view, head still on the pillow... ‘ Nancy Mitford, Essay on Faringdon House, the home of the the real ‘Lord Merlin’, 1950. Mitford affectionately portrayed her great friend Lord Berners as 'Lord Merlin' in Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. - Created in 1643, the Dukedom of Hamilton is the premier peerdom in Scotland and the third oldest in the United Kingdom. The head-curtain incorporates the coat of arms of the Dukes of Hamilton prior to 1711 when they were combined with the Dukedom of Brandon. The oak tree and inscription ‘Through’ alludes to the tree that Charles II hid in at Boscobel in 1651. The inscription ‘Sola Nobilitas Virtus‘ translates as ‘For Virtue is the only Nobility’. - The tester incorporates the Royal Banner of Scotland. The earliest recorded use of the lion rampant as a royal emblem in Scotland was in 1222. Since 1603, the lion rampant of Scotland has been incorporated into both the royal arms and royal banners of Scottish and British monarchs. - Beds symbolise life and the Tree of Life is a significant, cross-cultural symbol; symbolising health, growth, strength, flowering, abundance and longevity. - PROVENANCE : ‘The Red Bedroom’ was the main guest bedroom at Faringdon House, the home of Lord Berners, composer, writer, painter, from 1918 until his death in 1950. Faringdon House was the centre of a glittering social circle during the 1920’s and 30’s and guests included Evelyn Waugh, Siegfried Sassoon, John Betjaman, The Mitford Sisters, Salvador Dali, HG Wells and Gertrude Stein. Many famous guests slept in the "Red Bed", including Salvador and Gala Dali and Nancy Mitford. It is not known where Lord Berners acquired this tester bed and research is underway to see if documentary evidence can be found relating to the history of this tester bed before acquisition by Lord Berners - Hamilton Palace, home to the Dukes of Hamilton for nearly 300 years was furnished with treasures to rival the Royal Collection. Exquisite furniture, famed paintings, coveted objets d’art, finds from antiquity: it was the hoard of a family Daniel Defoe once called ‘great possessors.’ There were two enormous auctions at Hamilton Palace in 1882 and 1919 and the stately home was condemned for demolition in 1921. Many of the treasures from Hamilton Palace are now on display in international museums and collections. National Museums Scotland, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, the National Trust, the Louvre, Lennoxlove House and Boston Museum of Fine Arts. - Chippendale period, mahogany, tester bedstead with finely carved, fluted and reeded baluster columnar front posts surmounted by a moulded cornice. Re-upholstered in a two-tone claret red damask, with red and gold passementerie replacing the previous threadbare silk damask. The banner, armorial and tree of life embroidery...

French Louis XV-style bleached and carved twin size headboard with tufted red damask upholstery (includes: headboard only)