Chinese Hardwood Opium Bed

Description

Chinese Hardwood Opium Bed

Chinese Hardwood Opium Bed , 20th century with pierced and floral carved sides and canopy. Excellent condition with finely woven cane platform and fabric valence, with open top, sides and back. Decorative details feature various hand carved and painted animals. Pieces like this are alternately called a Chinese Marriage Bed or Chinese Wedding Bed*.

Bed measures 81″w x 54″d x 84″ h

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*Our research directed us to this information from an online article in the Ohio Times Reporter :

Opium Bed or Marriage Bed? We find that these beds, which are often elaborately enclosed affairs decorated with fancy panels, such as this one, are often referred to ,rightly or wrongly, as being “marriage/opium beds.”

Chinese marriage beds, however, are very special pieces of furniture that have a lot of tradition woven into their history. The marriage bed and its linens, for example, must be new and are presented to the engaged couple by the groom’s family. The placement of the marriage bed usually occurs one or two weeks before the wedding on an auspicious date often chosen by a feng shui master.