Bed (no. 923)
Item
Title
Bed (no. 923)
Creator
Craftsman Workshops
Date
1908-15 (ca.)
Dimensions
48 1/2 x 58 1/2 x 74 1/4 inches
Medium
Oak
Object No.
1997.5
Marks
Shop mark (decal) at bottom of headboard.
Description
Throughout his career Stickley’s approach to design was—in many ways—the search for form based on variations of a theme, a subtle reworking of formal details. In this regard, Bed (no. 923) is no different, as it reflects a search for harmonious proportions that ultimately derived from earlier iterations like Bedstead (no. 917), produced as early as 1904 and featured in "Cabinet Work from the Craftsman Workshops: Catalogue D." Whereas the earlier bed was more rectilinear, this model is a graceful restatement of that form’s principle ideas. The top crest of the head- and footboards are gently curved, and the vertical posts are narrower. In addition, Stickley raised the height of these and made a more pronounced taper to their tops, a feature that lightens the bed by emphasizing the corner posts’ verticality. While a line drawing of a bed in What is Wrought in the Craftsman Workshops (1904) shares many of these features, the arched interior corners of the head- and footboards, as well as the shaped bottom rail clearly distinguish this from the latter production.
Associated names
Gustav Stickley
Provenance
Gustav Stickley (by 1915); sold to George and Sylvia Farny with the contents of the Log House (1917); by descent to Cyril Farny; Private Collection (ca. 1992); Anonymous gift to the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in 1997.