4ft6 Victorian Brass & Iron Bedstead – Ref. 95415B54

A highly adorned, overtly decorative mid period Victorian Brass & Iron Bedstead.  Made circa 1870 this fine bed is a text book exercise in its Victorian designer’s passion for symmetry and bold symbolism. Extremely original and equally as rare, with a simply wonderful patina; one which has seemingly stood still the hands of time. This investment quality bedstead is currently standing unrestored, Bed Bazaar’s sale price includes our full professional restoration work.  The superbly preserved brass finish comes courtesy of the Victorian’s Lumanoid lacquered finish; one that utilised a sepia coloured lacquer.

This dark lacquer effect helped tie the different colours of brass mounts to one uniform tone.  The brass mounts would have varied in colour due to the differing processes used to make them.  Some were spun from discs, on this bedsteads all were casts from molten brass and by contrast the round tubes were a wrapping of sheet brass which was rolled over steel tubes.  As such, and due to the differing Metallurgy of the brasses used to create them, once polished they varied in the tone of their brass colour and the sepia lacquer masked this.  It also made allowance for the fact that slower Victorian polishing wheel speeds could not achieve such a high shine as the electrically powered ones we use today.  Again, this lower shine was improved by the darker coloured, but still clear, Lumanoid lacquer.

The satin black paint finish, often known to the Victorians as ‘Black Japan’ came courtesy of the Gutenberg process

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