What is the difference between a half tester and a four poster?

A four poster has a post at each corner, and the canopy above can run the full length of the bed. A half tester carries a shorter hood over the head end only. Half testers dominate the listings, with four posters the next largest group. Full tester is used sparingly, on a couple of beds only.

Why do so many listings mention king size?

A third of titles quote a modern mattress size, and 34 of those say king size. A few reach super king or 6ft. That is unusual for a period furniture category. Many of these beds are sold as complete frames sized or described to fit modern mattresses, which is why the measurement sits in the title rather than buried in the text.

How old are most tester beds on the market?

Victorian is the commonest dated field, with a further group logged only as 19th century. Single decades from the 1850s to the 1900s fill in around them. Six listings are placed in the 17th century and two in the 18th, one given as c1600 to c1696. The clean years that do appear run from 1800 to 1920.

Which woods and metals turn up most?

Mahogany leads the timbers, appearing in 28 titles. Oak accounts for 14 and carries the earliest beds, joined and panelled. Brass appears in 24 titles, usually as a half tester, either all brass or a cast-iron frame with brass mounts. Named figured timbers such as burr walnut, satin birch and teak turn up once each.

Are colonial tester beds part of this category?

Five listings fall into that group, described as Colonial Raj, colonial teak or colonial mahogany. They are a distinct minority within the archive. All five sit in the upper part of the range.

Do tester beds come with a maker's name?

Not in this archive. The listings describe form, timber, metal and period, and no maker's name comes through as a feature of the category. What carries a bed instead is its type, its material and its date, which is what the titles lead with.

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Antique Tester Beds

48 items · page 2 of 3

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A tester bed is a bedstead with an overhead canopy frame, built to carry hangings that once gave warmth and privacy in a shared room.

Edwardian Mahogany Four Poster Bedstead in the Georgian Style

1900 - 1920

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Edwardian Mahogany Four Poster Bedstead in the Georgian Style

From Wessex Antique Bedsteads

£995

FOR SALE

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Antique English Edwardian Mahogany 3ft 6” Large Single Four Poster Bed by Heals of London (Circa 1910)

1900 - 1920

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Antique English Edwardian Mahogany 3ft 6” Large Single Four Poster Bed by Heals of London (Circa 1910)

From Yolanda Gray Antiques

£2,450

FOR SALE

beds

17th century

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17th Century English Oak Poster Tester Bed

From Oliveri Antiques Ltd

£12,750

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Georgian Regency Four Poster Bed

From CJ Antiques

£1,600

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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19th Century Super King Mahogany Four Poster Bed / Tester Bed

From A Brookes

£24,850

FOR SALE

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Antique Four Poster Bed Double Size That Can Fit a 5 Foot Mattress Oak Circa 1690

17th century

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Antique Four Poster Bed Double Size That Can Fit a 5 Foot Mattress Oak Circa 1690

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£5,950

FOR SALE

beds

Georgian Arched Top Mahogany Four Poster Bed

18th century

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Georgian Arched Top Mahogany Four Poster Bed

From Country Homes Antiques Stirling

£3,400

FOR SALE

beds

17th century

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Antique Oak Four Poster Double Bed 17th Century C1660

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£4,950

FOR SALE

beds

17th century

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Antique Four Poster Oak Bed 17th Century Double Bed Tester Bed Full Tester Double Bed Elizabethan

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£5,950

FOR SALE

beds

Victorian Cast Iron & Brass Half Tester Double Bed

19th century

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Victorian Cast Iron & Brass Half Tester Double Bed

From Hand of Glory

£1,150

FOR SALE

beds

One bed to pass through was a mahogany four poster mounted with porcelain. Named timbers turn up once each: burr walnut, satin birch, teak, and oak inlaid with fruitwood.

19th century

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Regency Mahogany Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£14,450

FOR SALE

beds

Beautiful Victorian King Size Half Tester Bed

1900 - 1920

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Beautiful Victorian King Size Half Tester Bed

From Bedsteads

£2,950

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Victorian Brass Four Poster Bed

From Country Homes Antiques Stirling

£3,800

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Rare 19th Century Mahogany and Porcelain 4 Poster Bed

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£34,950

FOR SALE

beds

Impressive Howard & Sons Four Poster Bed

19th century

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Impressive Howard & Sons Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£11,450

FOR SALE

beds

Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Half Tester Bed

19th century

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Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Half Tester Bed

From The Antique Shop

£2,385

FOR SALE

beds

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Antique Tester Beds

Edwardian Mahogany Four Poster Bedstead in the Georgian Style

Antique English Edwardian Mahogany 3ft 6” Large Single Four Poster Bed by Heals of London (Circa 1910)

17th Century English Oak Poster Tester Bed

Georgian Regency Four Poster Bed

19th Century Super King Mahogany Four Poster Bed / Tester Bed

Antique Four Poster Bed Double Size That Can Fit a 5 Foot Mattress Oak Circa 1690

Georgian Arched Top Mahogany Four Poster Bed

Antique Oak Four Poster Double Bed 17th Century C1660

Antique Four Poster Oak Bed 17th Century Double Bed Tester Bed Full Tester Double Bed Elizabethan

Victorian Cast Iron & Brass Half Tester Double Bed

Regency Mahogany Four Poster Bed

Beautiful Victorian King Size Half Tester Bed

Victorian Brass Four Poster Bed

Rare 19th Century Mahogany and Porcelain 4 Poster Bed

Impressive Howard & Sons Four Poster Bed

Antique Victorian Burr Walnut Half Tester Bed

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