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State bed
Kent, William - Enlarge image
State bed
- Place of origin:
Great Britain, UK (made)
- Date:
ca. 1732 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Kent, William (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Frame of oak and pine, upholstered in green silk velvet, with passementerie and applied embroidery in silver-gilt thread
- Credit Line:
Accepted in lieu of tax by HM Government and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum
- Museum number:
W.58-2002
- Gallery location:
On loan
This bed is powerfully dramatic in its form. It was designed by William Kent, who was responsible for the complete decoration of the interior of Sir Robert Walpole's new house at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, between about 1725 and 1732. Sir Robert was the leader of the government from 1721 to 1742, and is known as Britain's first prime minister. The bed remains on loan at Houghton, where visitors may see it in the Green Velvet Bedchamber, for which it was designed. It was delivered in 1731–1732. Unfortunately, there is no archival evidence to show its maker, but it must have been exceptionally expensive. The bill for the trimmings, or passementerie, does survive and shows that the London partnership of Walter Turner, Richard Hill and Robert Pitter were paid over £1200 for the braids, rosettes and fringes of silver-gilt thread – an enormous amount of money in 1732.
