E W Godwin originally designed this table in about 1870. The influence of the Orient is evident in the design: the ebonized mahogany evokes Japanese lacquerwork, and the eight, out-curved legs draw their inspiration from Chinese furniture.

During the 1870s, this table was highly fashionable. When Japan ended its self-isolation policy in 1854, it gradually began to open its ports to the West. A flood of Japanese goods into British markets led to a craze for Japanese design that endured well into the twentieth century.