Box-bed

Box-bed in Austria

A box-bed (or closed bed, close bed, enclosed bed) is a bed enclosed in furniture that looks like a cupboard, half-opened or not.

The box-bed is closed on all sides by panels of wood. One enters it by removing curtains, opening a door hinge or sliding doors on one or two slides. The bed is placed on short legs to prevent moisture due to a dirt floor.

In front of the box-bed was often a large oaken chest, with the same length as the bed. This was always the 'seat of honour,' and served also as a step for climbing into the bed. It was also used to store clothing, underwear and bedding the rest of the time.^[1]

The closed-bed in Britanny

Closed bed in Finistère (France).

In French Britanny, the closed-bed (French: lit-clos) is a traditional furnishing. In homes with usually only one room, the box-bed allowed some privacy and helped keep people warm during winter.

Some closed-beds were built one above the other in a double-decker, two-story arrangement. In this case, young people were sleeping upstairs.^[2]

It was the main furniture of rural houses in Britanny until the 20th century. Often carved and decorated, it was the pride of its owners.

Closed-beds were 1.60 to 1.70 m length, long enough for people of that region who were rather small. And because they slept in almost a sitting position, they leaned on three or four pillows.^[3] It was the tradition of the Middle Ages not to sleep lying down, because that is the position of the dead and of effigies.

Later out of fashion and expensive to make, box-beds were gradually abandoned in the 19th and 20th centuries. Fine pieces were put in museums (Lampaul-Guimiliau, Nantes, Quimper, Rennes, St-Brieuc), while most of them were converted into bookshelves, dressers or TV cabinets. In the 21st century, rental companies offer nights in authentic box-beds.

Box-beds were also used to protect people of the home from the animals (pigs, hens) also living in the house, ^[4] or even to protect them from wolves who might enter houses and snatch babies.

The closet-bed in the Netherlands

A Dutch bedstede

In the Netherlands the closet-bed, or bedstede, were common into the 19th century, especially in farmhouses in the countryside. Closet-beds were closed off with a door or a curtain.

One of the advantages of the closet-bed was that it could be built into the living room and closed off during the day, making a separate bedroom unnecessary. The other main advantage was that, during the winter, the small area of the closet-bed would be warmed by body heat. As a result, the stove did not need to be stoked overnight. The door would not be shut completely, but left open a crack.

During the 16th and 17th century, closet-beds were much smaller. Lying down was associated with death, and therefore sleeping was done in a half-upright position. These closet-beds slept two people, and beneath them were often doors for children.

In literature

Box-beds are mentioned in Georges Simenon's detective novel The Patience of Maigret (originally, Le chien jaune, 1936), republished as Maigret and the Yellow Dog. In a house with pretentious furnishings, the detective notices "Breton closet-beds [sic] transformed into vitrines".^[5] A box bed is also mentioned in Tim Powers' Declare.

References

1. ^ http://www.oldandinteresting.com/breton-box-beds.aspx
2. ^ Thomas and Frances Trollope, A Summer in Brittany, 1840.
3. ^ (French) Ils sont fous ces Bretons#Coop Breizh|Erwan Vallerie, p. 104
4. ^ http://www.wagner-juergen.de/franz/litclos.htm
5. ^ Maigret and the Yellow Dog, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987, p. 23.

This article about furniture or furnishing is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Beds Furniture stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР Paywall List of closed churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York Look at other dictionaries: box-bed — boxˈ bed noun A kind of bed formerly common in Scotland, often in a living room or kitchen, with its ends, sides and roof of wood, and sometimes capable of being closed in front by two sliding panels • • • Main Entry: ↑box …   Useful english dictionary box bed — noun 1. : a bed built into an alcove or enclosed with panels 2. : a bed that folds up into the form of a box * * * 1. a bed completely enclosed so as to resemble a box. 2. a bed that folds up in the form of a box. [1795 1805] * * * box bed, 1. a… …   Useful english dictionary Box Bed & Breakfast — (Бокс,Финляндия) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: Spjutsundintie 103, 01190 Бок …   Каталог отелей box bed — /ˈbɒks bɛd/ (say boks bed) noun 1. a bed the base of which is completely enclosed so as to resemble a box, and which may have drawers. 2. a bed that folds up in the form of a box …   box bed — 1. a bed completely enclosed so as to resemble a box. 2. a bed that folds up in the form of a box. [1795 1805] * * * …   Universalium Box (Wiltshire) — Box ist ein englisches Dorf in der Grafschaft Wiltshire. Es liegt etwa 8 km östlich von Bath und 11 km westlich von Chippenham. Durch weit auseinander liegende Ortsteile bedeckt das Dorf eine große Fläche. Die Gegend ist reich an Natursteinen und …   Deutsch Wikipedia Bed — A bed audio2|En us bed.ogg is a piece of furniture (or a location) primarily used as a place to sleep, and often used for relaxation.To make beds more comfortable, a mattress is usually placed on top of it. The second layer is the box spring… …   Wikipedia Box-spring — This article is about the frame used to support a mattress. For the spring in Yellowstone Park, see Box Spring. A box spring is a type of bed base typically consisting of a sturdy wooden frame covered in cloth, and containing springs. Usually the …   Wikipedia Bed sheet — A blue bed sheet A bed sheet is a piece of cloth used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on. In many areas of the world, a second flat bed sheet is laid on top of the sheet covering the mattress. This is known as a top… …   Wikipedia Bed and Breakfast Batenborg — (Winsum,Нидерланды) Категория отеля: Адрес: Schouwerzijlsterweg 13, 995 …   Каталог отелей 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”