Gillows & Co., Attributed, Aesthetic Movement Gilt Ebonised Walnut Centre Table

Attributed to Gillows & Co., this centre table in ebonised walnut aligns to the Aesthetic Movement (c.1860 to c.1900), c.1880.

The table has an oblong top with canted corners, a moulded edge and fine incised gilt decoration running through the surface and frame. Beneath the top is a deep moulded frieze, carried at each corner by rounded quadrant brackets. These brackets are shaped with recessed quarter-round line panels and narrow gilt accents, giving the underside a refined architectural character rather than a merely structural one.

The base is especially decorative. Four legs combine ring-turned collars, spiral-turned column sections and tapering lower feet, with the black ebonised surface picked out by gilt bands and incised line decoration. Square collar blocks punctuate the legs, each with vertical gilt line details that echo the gilding used across the rails and brackets.

Below, the table opens into a light rectangular spindle gallery. Upper and lower rails enclose rows of small turned spindles, with larger baluster-turned uprights placed at intervals to create a rhythmic arcade around the base. The result is a table of strong Aesthetic Movement character, architectural in construction but delicate in effect, with the open understructure giving the broad top a surprising sense of lightness.