Antique Wooden Sleigh Beds

The American Empire period of antique furniture saw considerable influence from the French tradition and this is most clearly seen in the type known as Napoleon, or wooden sleigh beds. Antique sleigh beds were made of veneered and solid mahogany wood, and with a paneled head and footboard of the same height, usually forty two inches, and with wide side supports.

They were gracefully curved outwards in the head and footboards and had an elegant, serene beauty. However the trend towards oversizing beds, seen in the low poster Empire beds, soon claimed the sleigh bed for another victim. Later king size examples had perpendicular ends with three levels.

Wooden sleigh beds were especially popular in the South, and the best antiques are to be found there.