Featured 17th Century Maryland Trundle Bed

Hi Folks,

About a year ago I found this piece on the eastern shore of Maryland, rather close to Kent Island. Its top and rails are southern yellow pine, the top being a nearly 26" wide single plank, and the turned legs are walnut. In the past year I have shown it to many experts, dealers, and scholars. None have been able to find anything like it to compare it to, nor have they quite seen anything like it. The conclusions I have have drawn so far, from everything that I have learned, is that it is likely from the early settlement of period of Maryland, is a mid-sized collapsible trundle bed (likely for easy transport), and likely dates from 1650-1710. That said, the earliest known piece of Maryland furniture, to my knowledge is 1720-40, and I have been unable to find anything to compare the turnings to, or anything quite made the same.
So I am here to ask does anyone have any other insights?
I am primarily a dealer, though predominantly early English silver, and Chinese export porcelain, I just happen to not be able to resist early American furniture for myself, especially a lonely looking, orphaned piece of furniture. That said, when I speak to other dealers (I am always skeptical), they seem excited and want it, but keep commenting that that an early American trundle bed has little to no value, which I would understand if it weren't for being a possibly pre-1700 Maryland and Chesapeake coastal. I believe from what I have read there are less than 20-30 confirmed pieces from the Bay region, from that era.
So also here, what do you all think?

I greatly appreciate any thoughts, or insight, or suggestions as to what my approach might be.

Sincerely,
Jeremy

 

@James Conrad Your thoughts?

 

I would suggest running this by Oscar Fitzgerald. I'm not sure if this contact info is current. https://corcoran.gwu.edu/oscar-fitzgerald oscarfitzgerald@gwu.edu

 

HAHAHA!!! Like minds, @Bakersgma !!!!

 

Thank you, I have actually been speaking with him. We are both on the same page about it, know we are looking at something special but cannot put our finger on it.
Cheers,
Jeremy

 

He is the best! My mentor and furniture prof at the Smith. He also has access to the research done on specific regional furniture by his many grad students.

 

Wow,
I envy you. He has said he has never seen anything like it but likely it is what I think it is. He is truly wonderful, the people he has suggested contacting have been quite helpful in terms of realizing that it is something that no-one has really ever seen, him included. I didn't want to "name drop" people or experts because I do not know how they feel about it.
This piece has been rather surreal for me because, without fail, every scholar/ former curator/ expert I have spoken with has never seen anything quite like it, says it is an important find, and wants to know more about what I find out, but is also certain it is likely what I suspect it it is.
It has never been so comforting to know so little.
Jeremy

 

Hmmm, I have never seen this form before but guesses 1st half 18th century based on turnings & joinery where the bottom appears to be chamfered into side rails.

 

Are we sure it's a trundle bed? seems awful heavy to be doing much sliding in & out under a larger bed, especially considering early flooring wasn't exactly glass smooth.

 

I'm curious about the solid bottom, isn't the standard design with peg and ropes? Any indication it has been modified?

 

I am not positive it is a trundle bed, however that has been the suggested use. It is not nearly as cumbersome as it appears for sliding it around and the wear is somewhat consistent with it being dragged through something or along its sides.
I am really not sure on the date range however the turnings have been suggested to me to be third quarter of the 17th to the early 18th (based on other chesapeake regional furniture), though I agree about the chamfered panel, seemingly dating it as later.
Jeremy

 

I haven't found any similar example with a single plank bottom as far as a trundle, however I really haven't found much to compare it to. I do recall seeing a Flemish "box-bed" with a solid bottom but haven't been able to track that down. My understanding is that by the 18th century, rope type beds were in common use. There is no indication that it's overall construction was modified, only that someone maybe 50-60 years ago braced it across the bottom and nailed all of the corners to keep it rigid.
Jeremy

 

The eastern shore of the Chesapeake (Va & Md) was rather isolated during the 18th-century. What this means furniture wise is, joiners by the late 17th-early 18th century had lost their place as the dominate furniture makers for centuries and cabinetmakers took on that role on the mainland.
This was delayed for decades on the eastern shore because of their isolation from the mainland. Joiners continued on there in their furniture making oblivious to cabinet shops which had become dominate on the mainland.
Joiners on the eastern shore, in addition to their regular joinery like doors, windows, stairs, etc did a lot of built on site furniture made from hard yellow pine and often painted.
The most famous of these pieces are probably these Va eastern shore 1 piece corner cupboards, built by joiners which are highly sought after & sell for big bucks, even if stripped of their paint decoration.

Joiner made cupboards on the eastern shore Va, mid 18th century



Stripped of it's paint decoration

 

Well, hard to say if your piece is a trundle or not but, although early and built by a joiner I'd guess more likely 1st half 18th because of the unique conditions on the Chesapeake eastern shore where joiners continued furniture making long after their day had passed on the mainland.
Naturally, this makes dating difficult, especially if not examined in person.

 

What's the difference between a carpenter, joiner & cabinetmaker?
A. nails, pegs & dovetails!

 

I agree with all you have said, and If you happen to live in the DC area you are more than welcome to see it.
Those cabinets are stunning Btw, and now I have another bucket list find to add to my hunting list... yes I know unlikely.
The first impression I got when I came across this piece, was that it was made by someone who understood furniture making but was not a furniture maker, and I do know that the isolated nature of the eastern shore one wouldn't expect it to be fashioned by a furniture maker.
Jeremy

 

I was born in DC, spent the first 40 years of my life there but relocated to Charlotte NC 20 years ago.

It was built by a joiner which can make it seem older than it really is.
Joiners were the primary builders of furniture for over 500 years, from the middle ages to the late 17th century.
Cabinetmakers & cabinet shops took on that role from the late 17th century onwards. A lot of reasons for this sea change in furniture making, tools primarily, they became much more advanced & enabled cabinetmakers to build more vertically styled furniture with much less bulk.

 

Indeed, not only does the solid board chamfered into the rails suggest a later date but the weight of it argues against a bed.
Rope beds have been around a while, King Tutankhamun was buried in one in 1300 BC.
One more recent is this Saffron Walden Bed, without ropes or canopy valances. Late 14th- early 15th century. England.

 

Or this 17th-century English guy has wood wheels!

"A posted corded bed with a truckle in a wealthy household.It has 5 curtains and a valence. Bed cords trussed between holes in the bed frame to support the mattresses.The cords could be tightened to give better support which led to the saying " Goodnight, sleep tight."

 

I was thinking the same thing, but I'm an engineer's daughter and not a 'furniture guy". Maybe they did it that way because rambunctious children would be sleeping on it? What else would it be if not a bed?