The Great Bed of Ware?

I wore my newly modified cardie out this Bank holiday weekend just passed. Of course, this is England, and public holidays mean rain. What to do when you're skint and it's miserable out?

To the museum I say!

Carved backboard, complete with worldly scenes.

And with good reason.

The Great Bed of Ware has in fact returned to Ware. Normally its on display at the V & A in London and they have kindly loaned it out for a year. Not really knowing what all the fuss is about, we went along to observe the biggest bed ever.

Textures from the back of the bed, potential backgrounds?

A tourist attraction in medieval times, the Great Bed moved around the many Inn's of Ware to rest weary travellers on route to and from London. It can sleep up to 15 people (if that's what you're into!)







The four post bed is intricately hand carved, with figures, faces and scenes to entertain the occupier. I admired the textures found on the front and back of the bed head, like a window into the past.

Wax stamps

The bed slept many people during it's prime time of 17th and 18th centuries, and like today, those people felt the need to leave their mark in the form of graffiti. Instead of the popular black marker pen and gangster tag of today's world, those who slept in the bed left their wax stamp and impression of their sovereign ring. Here the red wax can still be seen today.

I love this! People are always people, no matter where you go, no matter what century you're in.