Beds and Cradles

	Early beds had canopies suspended from the ceiling. In the later Middle Ages and early Tudor times, four posts were used to support the fabric tester and curtains. The posts at the head enclosed an elaborated carved and pierced bed head. M16 Early Tudor bed carved and painted £220
	A more solid construction developed. The head posts became integrated into the headboard, which was now much more heavily carved and panelled. The remaining posts, at the foot of the bed, also became much heavier, with elaborate turning, to support the carved frieze and tester. The cloth canopy of earlier times was replaced by a tester of panelled wood. E36 Elizabeth Tester Bed £300
	The 17th Century saw a return to a lighter, less flamboyant style of construction. Carving was more subdued and posts became more slender. JC16 Jacobean Tester Bed £200
	Tester beds were not always feasible, especially under sloping eaves. Low beds still had carved headboards. E35 Low Tudor Bed £95
	Box beds were even more reliable at keeping out the poisons of fresh air than curtains, although they did have a grill opening to prevent complete suffocation. Besides being draught free, they provided a private sleeping area in houses and cottages that did not have separate bedrooms. W13 Box Bed £180

Prices are for bed frames. Mattresses and embroidered covers can be added, from £150 upwards

	Based on one supposedly used for Henry V M14 Mediaeval hanging cradle £50
	E32 Tudor Rocking cradle £80