This is truly a unique brass bed. It was originally found in a junk shop in Singapore and was totally tarnished. My husband's parents brought it back to the states. They kept it for many years and finally decided to give it to us. We have had it for over 25 years. For several years I polished it by hand but finally decided to have it professionally polished and lacquered. It's beautiful and doesn't need to be polished. It is very ornate and trimmed with mother-of-pearl on all four posters, as well as the four triangle pieces and the center of the three round sections on both the headboard and footboard. The bed fits together by four iron bars that fit into the four posts (see photo) to make the frame. No screws. It stands completely separate from the box springs. The mattress that sits on the box springs is approximately 7l" long x 67" wide. As it is now, the box springs measures 21 1/2" high and 30 1/2" to the top of the mattress. The actual bed measures 74" wide x 81" length and the four posts measure 95" tall. The bed has a few minor signs of age. There are two hairline cracks in the top of the foot piece (see photo). There is also a hole in one of the posts that was there when my in-laws purchased this amazing bed. The story is that it is a gunshot and that this bed was originally in a brothel.