Fake 182

Beds styled in the fashion of a four-poster of old are frequently to be found among the bigger and better rooms of provincial hotels. Generally they have posts, but generally also the curtains, if present at all, do not meet in the middle. Never a canopy over the top.

This one was a particularly interesting example of the genre, to be found at the Angel Hotel at Chippenham, with four cunning fittings built into the ceiling above the four corners of the rather large bed to support a very modest amount of net curtain. Not nearly enough to protect the blushing bridal couple from the covert, concupiscent glances of the servants round about. Perhaps using the excuse of the need for a new warming pan. Or needing to ask for the noise to be turned down a bit.

However, asking Bing & Google this afternoon, it seems that four posters have been a show-off item rather than a practical item for a long time, it taking me a little while to turn up the one above in the 16th century royal apartments in Chateau Royal de Blois. The royal in question being Henri III of France, king there upon transfer from Poland.

Before that, getting to the more homely version above: 'Queen Victoria reads the Scriptures at the bedside of a sick fisherman, living on her Osborne estate'. Perhaps in a cold & draughty room where the curtains really were a good idea.

I did not think it worth the near £400 each asked to get high resolution copies of the beds without the Getty logo.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/08/fake-181.html.

Group search key: fakesk.