The elaborately carved bed is rich in the iconography of late-15th century England: royal crests and shields, the heraldic roses of Lancashire and York, and symbols of fertility such as acorns and fruit.
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Antique bought online may be royal marriage bed
After years of study and debate, some experts are convinced: This was the bridal bed of England's first Tudor king and queen.
When English antique dealer Ian Coulson went to pick up the bed frame he’d bought online for £2200, he expected to find a “profusely carved Victorian four-poster bed with armorial shields,” just as described in the catalog.
“At that stage I thought it was a supreme example of the Arts and Craft movement,” recalls Coulson, referring to a design aesthetic popular in Victorian England during the late 19th century. But when he arrived home and began examining his new purchase more closely, he quickly realized it was far older than Victorian.
The bed showed signs of having been repaired a good many times, something unusual in an otherwise well-kept antique barely 150 years old. Marks in the timber indicated that it had
