.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This four-post bed has antique-fluted and acanthus-clasped columns in the 'Roman' manner. It was almost certainly commissioned by George William, 6th Earl of Coventry (1722-1809) from one of the leading cabinet-makers that he employed to furnish his country seat, Croome Court in Worcestershire and his London house, 29 (now 106) Piccadilly. In 1764 the Earl married secondly, Barbara St. John and ordered a magnificent bed, designed by Robert Adam and executed by William France (d. 1773) and John Bradburn (d. 1781). The bed, together with its dome and cornices, cost £50.1s (discussed further in A. Coleridge, 'English furniture supplied for Croome Court', Apollo, February 2000, pp. 12-14, figs. 10-11).
Although the present bed cannot be identified for certain in the Croome archives, there are several references to beds in the bills of both Messrs. Vile & Cobb and France & Bradburn, some of which could well be this bed. In July 1762 Vile and Cobb invoiced Lord Coventry
'For a very good 4 post D'ble, Screw'd Wainscott Bedstead on Castors with Mahog'y fluted Posts..a Fine Sacking & Strong Bright Compass Rod ... to Do. £7',
and there are a further eight four-post beds invoiced by them between 1757 and 1762. France and Bradburn on the other hand invoiced the Earl in July 1763
'For a very good 4 post large Wainscott Beds'd on large Castors double Screw'd with a Wainscott Lath Bottom, and double wainscott headboard and stout Mahog'y Foot posts neatly fluted with a Stave [sic.?] and Plinths at Bottom and a Sett of gadroon Cornices, to Ditto and also on inside Cove ...and a pollishe'd Compass Rod and Hooke...£9.6s'
and a further four beds appear in their bill of 1765. Once the beds had been supplied, the cabinet-makers job was not entirely over. In July 1766 we find John Cobb charging the Earl 2s 'For Bugg Wash & a Mans time takeing down a Bedstead and Furniture & putting up Ditto again & Cleaning Ditto from the Buggs' (ibid., pp. 13-14).
Although the present bed cannot be identified for certain in the Croome archives, there are several references to beds in the bills of both Messrs. Vile & Cobb and France & Bradburn, some of which could well be this bed. In July 1762 Vile and Cobb invoiced Lord Coventry
'For a very good 4 post D'ble, Screw'd Wainscott Bedstead on Castors with Mahog'y fluted Posts..a Fine Sacking & Strong Bright Compass Rod ... to Do. £7',
and there are a further eight four-post beds invoiced by them between 1757 and 1762. France and Bradburn on the other hand invoiced the Earl in July 1763
'For a very good 4 post large Wainscott Beds'd on large Castors double Screw'd with a Wainscott Lath Bottom, and double wainscott headboard and stout Mahog'y Foot posts neatly fluted with a Stave [sic.?] and Plinths at Bottom and a Sett of gadroon Cornices, to Ditto and also on inside Cove ...and a pollishe'd Compass Rod and Hooke...£9.6s'
and a further four beds appear in their bill of 1765. Once the beds had been supplied, the cabinet-makers job was not entirely over. In July 1766 we find John Cobb charging the Earl 2s 'For Bugg Wash & a Mans time takeing down a Bedstead and Furniture & putting up Ditto again & Cleaning Ditto from the Buggs' (ibid., pp. 13-14).