E W Godwin designed this table in about 1867. Originally described as 'Anglo-Japanese', it does in fact borrow from ancient Egyptian furniture design, evident in the angled brackets supporting the top and the turned, tapering legs. It is characteristic of the early Aesthetic Movement style, which borrowed from a diverse set of sources in a bid to liberate art from the trappings of commerciality. Godwin's furniture was regarded by Aesthetes as a welcome departure from the curvaceous and heavily decorated furniture of the mid Victorian era.