Rope bed
A rope bed is a type ofplatform bedin which the sleeper (and mattress) is supported by a lattice of rope, rather than wooden slats.
In cold climates, a rope bed would be topped with one or more insulatingpailasses or bedticks,which would traditionally be stuffed with straw,chaff,ordown feathers.It might also have a canopy hung with warm curtains.[1][2]Modernly, they may be topped by a thinfuton(a form of bedtick) or other roll-up mattress[3](seemattress topper).
In the sixteenth century (England?), bedmats of woven or plaited rush were often laid on the widely-spaced ropes, and the bedticks were laid on the mats. This stopped them from bulging between the ropes.[4]
Rope beds need to be tightened regularly (with a bed wrench, and sometimes with wedges) as they sag. They must also be re-strung occasionally; re-stringing reduces sag and evens out wear.[5][3][6]When fully or partly unstrung, rope beds can be packed flat for transport.[3]The need to tighten bedcords has been said to be the origin of the English phrase "sleep tight",[4]but some etymologists disagree.[7]
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Medieval-reconstruction rope beds (circa 1465); note loops of rope protruding from side boards -
A rope bedframe thought to have belonged to William Shakespeare -
Bedclothes pulled back to show the bedcords of the 1590sGreat Bed of Ware -
![Touchable museum samples illustrating the layers of the Great Bed of Ware: the bedcords, a plaited-rush[8] bedmat, a flockbed and then a featherbed in dun ticking, a downbed in striped ticking, and the bedlinen.[4] Flock is unspun fibers, in this case probably wool. The bedticks stuffed with the softest fillings are laid topmost.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Wikimania_2014_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum_-_The_Great_Bed_of_Ware221398.jpg/337px-Wikimania_2014_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum_-_The_Great_Bed_of_Ware221398.jpg)
Touchable museum samples illustrating the layers of the Great Bed of Ware: the bedcords, a plaited-rush[8]bedmat, a flockbed and then a featherbed in dun ticking, a downbed in stripedticking,and the bedlinen.[4]Flockis unspun fibers, in this case probably wool. Thebedticksstuffed with the softest fillings are laid topmost.
![Touchable museum samples illustrating the layers of the Great Bed of Ware: the bedcords, a plaited-rush[8] bedmat, a flockbed and then a featherbed in dun ticking, a downbed in striped ticking, and the bedlinen.[4] Flock is unspun fibers, in this case probably wool. The bedticks stuffed with the softest fillings are laid topmost.](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AWikimania_2014_-_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum_-_The_Great_Bed_of_Ware221398.jpg&t=hv)
See also
[edit]
- Charpai(warm-climate version)
- Bedtick
- Platform bed
- Murphy bed;some are rope (or wire) beds
Media related toRope bedframesat Wikimedia Commons
References
[edit]- ^Karstensen, Rebecca (2018-01-18). Graves, Jean (ed.)."Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite – A Myth Debunked".libraries.indiana.edu.
- ^"Canopy beds and rope beds".Greydragon Furniture collection.(includes links to plans and information on tightening and use)
- ^abcDevin, Harold."Making a Rope Bed"(PDF).
- ^abcVredeman de Vries, Hans (September 28, 1998)."Great Bed of Ware".Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections.V&A Explore The Collections. Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^Wright, Bryan."Colonial Sense: How-To Guides: Interior: Bed Roping".Colonial Sense.
- ^"The Stamford Historical Society, A virtual tour through the Hoyt-Barnum House".www.stamfordhistory.org.
- ^"What Is The Origin Of The Phrase" Sle... | Lexico.com ".Lexico Dictionaries.Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2017.
- ^"East Anglian rush", probably actuallyScirpus,asedge[1]
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