EMPIRE PERIOD CROWN "BATEAU" BED

Empire-period boat bed in molded mahogany, mahogany veneer and gilt bronze. The "bateau" bed, with its characteristic curvature and identical headboards, is a French invention that first appeared during the Directoire period (1795-1799), and was very popular during the Empire and Restoration periods. Our bed is completed by a round canopy in mahogany veneer, adorned with ormolu fleurons and masks. It supports the beige striped curtains. Custom-made mattress and box spring, as well as bedspread in the same fabric as the curtains. The gilded bronze decoration illustrates the theme of sleep, in keeping with the furniture's function: the sleeping mask adorning the canopy, and above all the representations of Psyche, who according to Greek mythology, found young Love at night. Psyche is symbolized by the winged masks, crowned with stars, decorating the bed's two detached columns, and by the butterflies pulling Cupid's chariot on clouds at the foot of the bed. The legend of L'Amour et Psyché was particularly popular during the Neoclassical period. The columns are also adorned with a frieze of water leaves and topped with a Corinthian capital decorated with palmettes, foliage and foliage scrolls. External dimensions of bed: H:117cm, W:201cm; D:160cm. Interior bed dimensions: W:185cm;D:140cm. Canopy diameter: 100cm. Empire period, Circa: 1810 Dim: W:201cm, D:160cm, H:117cm. Varnish and veneer are in good condition. The bed is in very good structural condition.