Charleston carved mahogany tall post bed circa 1795-1815 headposts of pencil form unified by shaped headboard, highly carved footposts terminating in spade feet articulate with heavy rails cut for bed slats, with cornice of lapped boards suitable for decorative hangings; accompanied by original headboard, foot and head rails. (Good condition) H99 1/4" outside W66 1/2" inside W61 1/4" outside L79" inside L74 1/2" *Note: Of the furniture forms produced in Charleston in the Neoclassical era, none is more desirable than the bedstead. Numerous surviving examples demonstrate the remarkable variety of carved decoration which is applied to posts with standard sequences of turnings. The present example is notable in that the portion of the post usually embellished with carved sheaves of wheat or rice is here decorated with what appears to be a stylized carnation. Interestingly, the subject matter appears to be loosely derived from a print done by the German artist A. Switzer which is published in John Parkinson's PARKINSON'S PARADISI IN SOLE PARADISUS TERRITORIES, first published in 1629. The abstract manner in which the various plants were illustrated would have appealed to the Neoclassical carvers of Charleston. Regardless, the similarity in conception suggests that the carver had access to such material, either through his patron or of his own accord. Although no copy of this particular part of Parkinson's oeuvre is known to exist in public or private libraries in Charleston today, it is likely that one did in the 18th and early 19th centuries, owing to the highly evolved intellectual environment that existed among the elite during that period. Other books by Parkinson are still in the possession of the Charleston Library Society, which was established in 1748 and is still in operation today. The remaining decorative vocabulary is composed of carved foliage scaled for its respective positions on the posts, reeding of the shaft, rope carving of the transitional elements, and undulating fluting below the primary carved elements, all common to Charleston Neoclassical bedsteads. It is important to note that the footposts were turned out of 4 ¾" stock. This large dimension ranks among the largest discovered in Charleston and serves to further differentiate the bed from its counterparts in other urban centers such as New York, Philadelphia and Boston. The aesthetic effect this has is quite evident. *Note: Bedstead has the original headboard, foot and head rails, which have been substantially shortened. The bed has been returned to an approximation of its original height, and has been updated with the appropriate size headboard, foot and head rails, and cornice slats. The bed bolt covers on the head posts are modern; the others, remarkably, are original. The finish on the original parts appears to have some age and has been in-filled, cleaned and waxed.