Antique beds, generally speaking, were feminine in design.
They were lighter and airier than their wooden counter part bed frames. So to try and pull in the male clientele that were more accustom the heavier looking wooden bed frames, foundries started offering castings with a masculine theme. “Lion Head”castings were used by many of the small independently owned foundries to try and break the feminine gender barrier iron beds had created. Along with these masculine symbols, manufacturers also began to offer darker finishes in black and dark gold. These two things were successful in changing public opinion that Victorian antique iron beds were strictly feminine in nature.
Another thing that seemed to attract more males was a larger size tubing that the traditional 1″ tubing being used. Larger 1 1/4” thick wall tubing had a much more masculine look and feel and also required larger castings, giving a bed a bulkier more massive look, than the otherwise feminine beds being produced by the majority of the foundies. Animal heads were just one more thing the foundries used, to attract an otherwise dominant female household decision.
I hope you’ve found this blog informative . I invite you to revisit my website
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