A four-poster bed is a bed with four vertical columns, one in each corner, that support a tester, or upper (usually rectangular) panel. There are a number of antique

Antique furniture

Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age. Often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes a piece of furniture desirable as a collectors' item, and thus termed an "antique"....

 four-poster beds extant dating to the 16th century and earlier; many of these early beds are highly ornate and are made from oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

. An example of such an early 16th-century four-poster resides in Crathes Castle

Crathes Castle

Crathes Castle is a 16th century castle near Banchory in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was held in that family for almost 400 years...

, which was made for the original castle owners in the Burnett of Leys

Clan Burnett

Clan Burnett, also referred to as the House of Burnett, is a Lowland Scottish family.-Origins of the name:There is still debate over the origin of the name Burnett. The Saxon Burford family held lands in Bedfordshire prior to 1066. This name derives from the Saxon 'beornheard' meaning 'bear hand'...

family.