AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED LEATHER AND GILT-METAL CAMPAIGN BED

POSSIBLY SPANISH, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED LEATHER AND GILT-METAL CAMPAIGN BED
POSSIBLY SPANISH, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
The leather box opening to reveal a single bed frame, with silk-lined interior and hinged niche, the monogramed plaque engraved JDS, French and Co. inventory number 37157
16 in. (40 cm.) high, 28 in. (71 cm.) wide, 13¾ in. (35 cm.) deep

Provenance

With French & Company, New York (bought from Spanish Art on 18 August 1930).
Sold to Mr. William Randolph Hearst in 1932.
Acquired from Virginia Frizzell Antiques, San Francisco, 1967.

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Lot Essay

A rare survivor from when military officers brought custom furniture for their comfort while on campaign, this bed's luxurious exterior hides a practical and still working interior. It was once part of the celebrated art collection assembled by William Randolph Hearst (d. 1951) and displayed at his various residences including Hearst Castle, Ocean House and Wyntoon in California; Riverside Drive, Manhattan; Beacon Towers, Long Island as well as Saint Donat's in Wales. There were extensive sales of his collections in New York City beginning in 1938 (V. Kastner, Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House, 2000).

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