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 3 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.

19th century

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Antique Four Poster Bed Antique Oak Bed

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£3,950

FOR SALE

beds

Rare and Individual Half Tester King Size Bed

19th century

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Rare and Individual Half Tester King Size Bed

From Bedsteads

£3,250

FOR SALE

beds

Impressive Arts and Crafts Oak Four Poster Bed

19th century

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Impressive Arts and Crafts Oak Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£5,475

FOR SALE

beds

18th C Chippendale 4 Poster Bed - King Size

18th century

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18th C Chippendale 4 Poster Bed - King Size

From Blank Canvas Antiques

£16,800

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Victorian King Size Rw Winfield Brass Half Tester Bedstead

From Wessex Antique Bedsteads

£4,750

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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A Victorian Mahogany Four Poster Bed

From Country Homes Antiques Stirling

£1,600

FOR SALE

beds

King Size Antique Four Poster Bed in Black

19th century

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King Size Antique Four Poster Bed in Black

From Seventh Heaven

£3,536

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Victorian King Size Brass Half Tester Bedstead

From Wessex Antique Bedsteads

£6,500

FOR SALE

beds

Impressive George III Sheraton Super King 6ft Four Poster Bed

18th century

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Impressive George III Sheraton Super King 6ft Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£38,500

FOR SALE

beds

Fabulous Quality Lower Height King Size Four Poster Bed

1900 - 1920

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Fabulous Quality Lower Height King Size Four Poster Bed

From Bedsteads

£3,500

FOR SALE

beds

The rarest origin in the Sellingantiques archive is the Anglo-Indian colonial group - five beds, described as Colonial Raj or colonial teak and mahogany.

1900 - 1920

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Regency Style Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£6,585

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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A 19th Century Colonial Mahogany Four Poster Bed

From Country Homes Antiques Stirling

£2,400

FOR SALE

beds

17th century

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Antique Four Poster Bed Antique Oak Bed

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£5,500

FOR SALE

beds

Antique 5ft 7” Victorian Anglo-indian Colonial Raj King Size Four Poster Bed (Circa 1880)

19th century

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Antique 5ft 7” Victorian Anglo-indian Colonial Raj King Size Four Poster Bed (Circa 1880)

From Yolanda Gray Antiques

£8,450

FOR SALE

beds

17th century

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Antique Four Poster Bed 17th Century Oak with Fruitwood Inlay C1600 to C1696 Tester Bed or Full Tester Oak Bed

From Gerald Neville Antiques

£7,995

FOR SALE

beds

19th century

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Regency Mahogany Four Poster Bed

From A Brookes

£12,250

FOR SALE

beds

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Antique Tester Beds

Antique Four Poster Bed Antique Oak Bed

Rare and Individual Half Tester King Size Bed

Impressive Arts and Crafts Oak Four Poster Bed

18th C Chippendale 4 Poster Bed - King Size

Victorian King Size Rw Winfield Brass Half Tester Bedstead

A Victorian Mahogany Four Poster Bed

King Size Antique Four Poster Bed in Black

Victorian King Size Brass Half Tester Bedstead

Impressive George III Sheraton Super King 6ft Four Poster Bed

Fabulous Quality Lower Height King Size Four Poster Bed

Regency Style Four Poster Bed

A 19th Century Colonial Mahogany Four Poster Bed

Antique Four Poster Bed Antique Oak Bed

Antique 5ft 7” Victorian Anglo-indian Colonial Raj King Size Four Poster Bed (Circa 1880)

Antique Four Poster Bed 17th Century Oak with Fruitwood Inlay C1600 to C1696 Tester Bed or Full Tester Oak Bed

Regency Mahogany Four Poster Bed

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