A daybed of turned and carved walnut, with caned seat panel, the back heavily raked and with a central adjustable panel, the frame of the back, cresting and carved stretcher rails carved and pierced with acanthus scrolls.

The daybed is raised on six turned and carved legs, the back two continuing as uprights to the back. These are turned, with rectangular sections at the joints, the outer faces of these sections carved with flower heads. The lowest section of each leg has been carved as a hairy paw foot (probably a later alteration, because the rectangular sections above each foot appear to have been foreshortened). The feet are set with brass castors, of 19th-century date. The pairs of legs are joined by baluster-turned stretchers (probably of 19th-century date). On each side, the legs are joined by deep pierced rails, carved with acanthus. The side and top surfaces of the seat frame are shallow-carved with acanthus. The back is formed of two cross rails (square in section), with three similar vertical rails forming a back panel. This panel, however, is not contained within a frame. When it is extended backwards, the two cross rails are left without a framing element, suggesting that the back was possibly originally fixed. Beneath the lower rail and outside the triple vertical rails are pierced rails carved with acanthus. A similar pierced and carved cresting, centreing on a frame of scrolling, is set above the top rail of the back. The back pivots (a later modification) on metal pins at either end of the lower rail, the top of the back panel held to the outer back uprights with small metal chains hanging on metal studs set within a recess cut in the inner surface of the outer uprights.

The elements of the frame are joined with mortise and tenon joints but there is no visible pegging. The seat is reinforced underneath with two rectangular-sectioned cross-braces, curved in section to allow for the deflection of the seat. The cross stretchers are fitted with tenons into larger than necessary mortises, perhaps suggesting that they are replacements. The caning was replaced after it was damaged in 1935. The seat rails show warping along their length. Two of the feet show old breaks and sections missing.

Each end of the carved rails, and the adjacent uprights, are chisel-marked 'I' to 'IIII'.

Purchased in 1925 from the Misses Weber, via their brother F.B. Weber, 50 Abingdon Court, Kensington. At the time of acquisition it was recorded that "this bed has been in the family for many years and came originally from a cottage in Durham about a century back". A note from H.Clifford Smith to Oliver Brackett (Nominal File MA/1/W1014) dated 27 May 1925, records that it was 'purchased near Durham about 100 years ago by the great-aunt of the present owners. ..... It is certainly finer than either of the two examples already in the Museum.' The file also records that pieces of the needlework from the seat were transferred to both Textiles and Circulation department.

In the late 17th century caned chairs became extremely popular not only among the aristocracy and gentry, but also among merchants and tradesmen, as they were much cheaper than upholstered chairs. From the 1680s onwards enormous quantities were made in London, for export as well as for home consumption. Caned daybeds were always rarer but were similarly a cheaper version of settees and couches that were upholstered. Caned seats were always fragile but were generally used with a loose squab cushion, which served to spread the load of someone sitting or lying on it.

W.43-1925