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Great Bed of Ware
Hans Vredeman de Vries1590-1600 (made) - 1600
The Victoria and Albert Museum
London, United Kingdom
The Great Bed of Ware, oak, carved, inlaid and painted. British, 1590-1600.
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Details
- Title: Great Bed of Ware
- Creator Lifespan: 1527 - 1604
- Date Created: 1590-1600 (made) - 1600
- Location Created: Ware, Hertfordshire
- Type: Bed
- Rights: Purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund
- External Link: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9138
- designer: Vredeman de Vries, Hans
- Place Part Of: Hertfordshire
- More Information: Object Type This bed is in the typical style of carved wooden beds of the 1590s but it is remarkable for its large size. It is over 326 centimetres wide. The height was slightly reduced in the 19th century. The human figures carved on the headboard would originally have been brightly painted.Places The bed was probably made as a curiosity to attract customers to one of the inns at Ware, Hertfordshire. Ware is 22 miles from London, then a day's journey on horseback or by coach. The town had many inns in the 1590s.Historical Associations The bed has been famous since it was made. William Shakespeare mentioned it in his play Twelfth Night, first performed in 1601. The contemporary playwright Ben Jonson called it 'the great bed at Ware' in a play in 1609. Visitors often carved their initials on the bed or applied red wax seals, which are still visible on the bedposts and headboard today.
- Materials and Techniques: Oak, carved and originally painted, with panels of marquetry
- Dimensions: Height: 267 cm, Width: 326 cm, Depth: 338 cm[board] Length: 287 cm, Width: 17 cm, Depth: 2 cm[board] Length: 285 cm, Width: 15 cm, Depth: 3 cm[board] Length: 239 cm, Width: 34 cm, Depth: 3.5 cm[wedge] Length: 26 cm, Width: 6.5 cm, Depth: 4 cm
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