Images(2)

Trundle Bedstead

Date1790-1840

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Eastern

MediumTulip Poplar

DimensionsOH: 19”; OW: 42 ¾”; OL: 69 ¾”

Credit LineGift of Bettianne Sweeney

Object number2026-95

DescriptionLow trundle bedstead with short turned legs and wooden wheels; foot legs extend past blocked section at rails with round finials; head posts taller than foot with turned section between blocking and ovoid finial; shaped headboard with uneven double ogee curves meeting in center, with scratch beaded edges; four rails with molded corners, channel in outer face, with holes for ropes. Bed joined with mortise and tenon joints; head and foot rails double pegged to posts. Marked with Roman Numerals I-III on inside of rails at endsLabel Text18th and early 19th century low-post bedsteads could be dismantled or erected quickly to make space for additional family members or guests. Trundle beds with wheels could be rolled under taller beds when not in use, expanding the sleeping options for families with limited space within their chamber. This example has a recovery history in an unidentified Williamsburg area home in the mid to late 20th century and may represent a locally produced item.ProvenancePurchased from an unidentified Williamsburg area home in the 1970s-80s by donor’s late husband (antiques dealer).