French Bateau Bed, exhibition piece from the Exposition Univ...

Hammer

€15,000

French Bateau Bed, exhibition piece from the Exposition Universelle—The Paris World’s Fair, 1878. Third quarter of the 19th century. 
With Provenance to Oscar Wilde.

A richly carved walnut and ebonised bateau bed. This bed, like the Davenport desk, was also removed from Oscar Wilde’s house,16 Tite Street, by Mortimer Menpes prior to the auction of April 24th, 1895.

It was originally purchased by Lady Wilde (Oscar Wilde’s mother) during a visit to Paris in 1878. Believed to have been acquired at the Exposition Universelle—the Paris World’s Fair of that year—the bed reflects the grandeur and decorative exuberance of mid-late 19th-century French design. The headboard is surmounted by an exquisitely carved coat of arms for the city of Paris, featuring the city's crest—a ship and three fleur-de-lis—topped by a coronet and framed by an oak branch with detailed leaves and acorns on one side, and a finely rendered stem of laurel on the other. Below this, a flowing scroll bears the Parisian motto Fluctuat nec mergitur (“[She] is rocked by the waves, but does not sink”), a symbolic and poetic touch befitting the Wilde family’s taste for art, symbolism, and continental flair.

As introduced in the description of the Davenport desk, the auction catalogue of 16 Tite Street offers subtle yet telling evidence of the efforts made by Wilde’s friends to preserve his belongings ahead of the court-ordered sale. Although the house was relatively large, with five bedrooms listed, only one of these rooms in the catalogue actually contains a bed, a French brass bed. The absence of any other beds, wardrobes, or personal furnishings in the remaining bedrooms suggests deliberate removal, likely carried out discreetly by those close to Wilde in an attempt to protect items of sentimental or monetary value from public dispersal. This silent purging underscores the quiet loyalty of his circle, who sought to shield what remained of Wilde’s domestic and artistic life in the face of public disgrace.
The bed is an elaborate example of mid-late 19th-century French cabinet making, richly carved in walnut and ebonised wood with neoclassical motifs throughout. The base frieze features a central urn, flanked symmetrically by opposing griffins and hoho birds, exotic and stylised, with flowing scrollwork and foliage linking the composition. The upright front pillars are similarly adorned with carved urns and intricate scrolling foliage, creating a sense of visual rhythm and classical harmony. Each of the four corner pillars is surmounted by a boldly carved, stylised acanthus finial, further enhancing the bed’s architectural presence and sculptural richness. Furthermore, the bed features ebonised foliate-carved spandrels at the junction between the upright front pillars and the frieze
Having supported Oscar Wilde financially during his years of hardship, Mortimer Menpes assumed ownership of the bed—transitioning it from a personal belonging of Wilde’s to a valued piece in his own collection. Menpes first installed both the bed and the Davenport desk at his London residence, 25 Cadogan Gardens, before moving them to his country house, Iris Court in Pangbourne, Berkshire, where they remained part of his private collection until his death in 1938.

Lady Wilde (1821-1896), born Jane Francesca Elgee (Wexford, Ireland), was a poet, nationalist, and social figure known by her pen name "Speranza." A formidable intellect and advocate for Irish independence, she was also a prominent salon hostess in both Dublin and London, whose influence deeply shaped Oscar Wilde’s literary and cultural sensibilities. Lady Wilde first introduced Oscar to Paris during a trip they took together in 1874, when he was just 20 years old.

The bed would have held deep sentimental value for Oscar—more intimately, the bed represents continuity between Oscar and his mother, Lady Wilde, a powerful influence in his life. It served not only as a physical object within his home, but also as a tangible link to his upbringing, his family’s aspirations, and their shared embrace of European culture and decorative arts. Preserved by Mortimer Menpes, the bed stands as a symbol of loyalty, memory, and the effort to protect what remained of Wilde’s domestic and artistic legacy.

Provenance: By direct descent to the present vendor.
Length - 85" (216 cms)
Hight - 50.5" (128 cms)
Width - 52" (132 cms)
Mattress size - 75" (190 cms ) by 47" (120 cms)

Mr. Edmund Joyce 2025

More Information

Length - 85" (216 cms)
Height - 50.5" (128 cms)
Width - 52" (132 cms)
Mattress size - 75" (190 cms ) by 47" (120 cms)
Structure good
Carving crisp
Some minor repairs, nothing major in very original condition