The miniature bed (31.104) has recently undergone closer study and minor conservation work in preparation for its inclusion in Hillwood’s upcoming exhibition Mid-Century Master: The Photography of Alfred Eisenstaedt opening this June. The bed is typically displayed in the first floor library, not far from a framed photograph of Marjorie Post smiling at Scampi, her pet schnauzer, who is sitting in the bed. After the exhibition closes in January 2020, the bed will return to the library.
The bed was purchased by Eleanor Close in Paris in 1960 from the dealer Michel Abelin as a personal gift to her mother Marjorie Post. Post may have used it as a dog bed at her Mar-A-Lago estate before transferring it to Hillwood.
Paperwork indicated that it was a genuine antique produced prior to 1830. Modern techniques and a closer examination have revealed that it is actually made in the style of an 18th-century Louis XVI lit à la polonaise (a canopy bed intended to decorate a niche or alcove named after Louis XV’s Polish queen, Marie Leszczynska), and was likely made in Paris sometime between 1880-1920. In addition, it was most likely made as a model or miniature bed, not originally intended for dogs.
Hillwood has a sizeable collection of miniature furniture, predominantly 19th century English, including chests of drawers, armchairs, and desks. Miniature furniture and the purposes of its use have fascinated collectors both in Europe and America. There were a few different reasons for producing miniature furniture and they served different functions:
- Masterpieces, apprentice pieces, examination pieces (usually signed) as admission to a furniture corporation or guild– full-size furniture examples were more commonly made by apprentices for examination in France during the 18th century, while miniature examples were used in the 19th century
- Models, samples, show pieces, and advertisements in shop windows of furniture makers and retailers
- Actual beds for pets
- Children’s furniture