AN ARTS & CRAFTS OAK REFECTORY TABLE
English, early 20th century

The thick rectangular top of quarter-sawn oak, on splayed legs joined by pegged stretchers, the whole of robust construction and rich colour.

Dimensions: H:75 x W:152 x D:104

This form of table, with its honest exposed joinery and straightforward construction, reflects the ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement, which celebrated hand craftsmanship and vernacular precedent over industrial production. Its splayed legs and pegged stretchers are closely related to designs retailed by Heal & Son in the early 20th century, and to works by Cotswold School makers such as Ernest Gimson and the Barnsleys.

Comparable examples are illustrated in Mary Comino, Gimson and the Barnsleys (1980), and Alan Crawford, Cotswold Arts and Crafts Furniture (2005).

Condition report: Surface wear and marks consistent with use; structurally sound; overall very good condition.