Windsor Cradle
Period1835 - 1860
MediumAsh, pine and maple
Dimensions23.5 × 25.5 × 40 in. (59.7 × 64.8 × 101.6 cm)
ClassificationsBeds and Cradles
Credit LineMuseum Collection
Object number1991.657
DescriptionA cradle with an ovoid shaped bed of bent wood held in place by twenty-four turned spindles, each with a small ball turning at its base. The spindles cant outward from a one inch thick ovoid plank which forms the bottom of the bed. Four splayed turned legs feature baluster, reel, and ball turnings. Four stretchers are simply dowel turned. Shaped rockers at each end of the cradle are inserted into a slot in the bottom of the legs. They are held in place by nails. The cradle retains some traces of an old dark varnish finish.Curatorial RemarksWindsor cradles were popular from the early nineteenth century onward. Some people believed that they were healthier than board constructed cradles as the spindles allowed air to circulate freely around the baby, especially in warm weather.
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