Sleigh bed

A sleigh bed is a style of bed with curved or scrolled foot and headboards, thus resembling a sled or sleigh.^[1]

Often made of wood and quite heavy, the sleigh bed is a result of the French and American Empire period of the early 19th century.^[2] The Empire style, and thus the American Empire style, drew its inspiration from the empires of ancient Rome and Greece.

Today's sleigh beds are made from a variety of materials including wood, iron, steel and aluminum, and often possess less exaggerated curves of the foot and headboards.

• Bedstead (c. 1805/1808) by Charles-Honoré Lannuier, Classical galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
• Bedstead (c. 1805/1808) by Charles-Honoré Lannuier, detail.
• Sleigh bed (ca. 1820), Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, Madrid, Spain.
• Sleigh bed (c. 1820/1830) in the Helgoland room, Museum Langes Tannen, Uetersen, Germany.

References

1. American Woodworker. New Track Media. 1998-02-01.
2. "The Ancient History of the Sleigh Bed". Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers. December 22, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2017.