Four poster bed

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A four poster bed is a bed with four posts, one in each corner, that support a tester.

Usually, the function of the tester was to hold curtains that could surround the bed to keep out draughts. In the modern Western world, this function has become unnecessary because of improvements in insulation and draught exclusion. Consequently, the posts and tester became an unnecessary element of comfortable bedding, and their cost meant that they rapidly became less popular in favour of postless beds. Nevertheless, although unnecessary and perhaps ostentatious, the four-poster bed without the tester has remained a popular style for many bedrooms because of its traditional and attractive appearance.