The Lost Code

Bed

Painted wood
H. 1.90 m
L. 1.86 m
W. 96 cm
The columns of this reproduction of an 18th century bed support a curtained canopy. In addition to the comfort they provided by trapping in heat and blocking drafts, bed curtains created a certain degree of privacy in shared spaces. The typical bed of an average family featured a straw pallet topped with a feather mattress, a wool mattress, feather pillows, and a bolster. Beds were covered with a pair of linen sheets, a wool blanket or two, and a quilt. The amount of bedding naturally varied with the seasons. In winter, people even added animal pelts to stave off the cold.
Manoir Mauvide-Genest collection