The Marriage Bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: A Masterpiece of Tudor Craftsmanship

The Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, a rare piece of late medieval English royal furniture, has been the subject of extensive investigation by furniture specialists, medieval historians, design historians, and scientists. This book is the first sustained account of the bed, exploring its form and structure, context, iconography, wood, paint, physical history, provenance, and relationship with known surviving Tudor furniture. It presents historical, archival, and scientific evidence to show that the bed is late medieval, written by a range of scientists, historians, and specialist researchers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2023
Publisher: Oxbow Books

The Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, a remarkable piece of late medieval English royal furniture, was unearthed in 2010. Its exceptional nature sets it apart as the sole surviving example of secular domestic furniture from this era, and even less woodwork from this period remains outside of ecclesiastical settings. As a testament to medieval royal woodwork, the bed provides an unparalleled glimpse into the elite domestic furnishings of the time.

Since its rediscovery, the bed has undergone extensive examination by a diverse team of furniture specialists, medieval historians, design historians, and scientists. This book, the result of a decade-long multidisciplinary research project, is the first comprehensive account of the bed. It demonstrates how various disciplines, spanning the arts and conservation sciences, can be combined to evaluate and interpret such rare historic survivals.

The book is organized into thematic chapters that explore various aspects of the bed. These include its form and structure, historical context, iconography, woodwork, painting, physical history, provenance, including its curious reproduction by George Shaw in Victorian England, and its relationship with known surviving Tudor furniture, as well as Georgian and Victorian Gothic Revival beds. While initially believed to be a 19th-century fake, this book presents compelling historical, archival, and scientific evidence to establish beyond doubt that the bed dates back to the late medieval period.

While the research presented at a 2019 conference funded by the Institute of Conservation and held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London forms the foundation of the book, it incorporates additional historical and scientific discoveries made since the conference. Written by a diverse group of scientists, historians, and specialist researchers, this volume represents a multi-disciplinary work of immense value to readers from various disciplines.

Weight: 612g
Dimension: 255 x 195 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789257922