E. W. Godwin, Made by William Watt, Aesthetic Octagonal Five Legged Table

Designed by E. W. Godwin and made by William Watt, this side table in walnut aligned to the Aesthetic Movement (circa 1860 to 1890), c.1870. The table has an octagonal top with a moulded edge, raised on a five legged structure with arched aprons below.

The design is one of Godwin’s most architecturally ordered small table forms. The top is set over deep aprons cut with broad arches, giving lightness to the body while retaining the firm geometric outline. The five outer legs are turned and elegantly splayed, and radiating stretchers uniting to a central turned upright support.

From this centre, radiating stretchers meet the surrounding legs, making the base a beautifully controlled structural system rather than a standard four legged support. The close turning of the legs and the repeated circular mouldings are characteristic of Godwin’s disciplined approach to proportion.

The arched aprons, octagonal plan and radial stretcher arrangement connect the piece to the reforming furniture vocabulary promoted through William Watt’s London art furniture production. he table is referenced by Susan Weber Soros in The Secular Furniture of E. W. Godwin*

References / Provenance

*1 Susan Weber Soros, The Secular Furniture of E. W. Godwin, pp. 148, 149, 152 and 153. Also see Susan Weber Soros, William Watt’s Art Furniture, pp. 269 and 270, plates 12 and 14.