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A Large and exceptional mid-19th Century, Celtic revival octagonal oak centre table with a tilting top. Circa 1865.

The moulded table top has a carved frieze featuring intertwined knots, probably designed to be seen as symbolic of snakes. The underside has its original brass catch. The central column ends in a large plinth base of four carved feet. The carving to the quatre-form base has the overlapping of snake scales and leafy foliage.

This design was almost certainly inspired by the work of Owen Jones, more specifically his Grammar of Ornament published in 1865. Jones published three plates of Celtic designs and the frieze on our table is very reminiscent of design number 4 in plate 2.

Jones' design and the frieze on our table take their inspiration from the Ouroboros-the mythical serpent devouring its own tail that represents eternity and the cycle of life. This is also similar to the Celtic knot in its symbolism.

During the middle of the 19th century the foundations were laid for the so called “Celtic revival”, partly inspired by Queen Victoria's interest in Scotland and Highland culture. The revival encompassed every part of Celtic culture from literature and language to history and design. Tastemakers and designers like Jones were able to distil what they saw as the basic elements that made up Celtic design and make them available to a much wider audience. Celtic inspired furniture is relatively rare and the present table is a particularly unusual example. The table features an octagonal table top design that would not have been out of place in the regency period some 50 years earlier and the imbricated scale carving on the feet even harks back to the famous suites of seat furniture made by the London maker John Gordon for the Dukes of Athol at Blair Castle. These mahogany “Gainsborough” chairs feature scale carving throughout but in this case the scales are supposed to belong to dolphins rather than snakes.

Snakes were also symbolic of eternal love in the Victorian period and so were very common motifs in love jewellery produced at the time. It is likely that the designer of this table would also have expected those viewing the piece to be familiar with that reference and to react to it accordingly.

Unlike much Victorian furniture, the decoration on our table is restrained and extremely tastefully displayed. This suggests a designer and maker of note and there is little doubt that this piece must have been produced as a unique commission rather than being a stock design. It is likely that it was made for a family with proud Celtic connections and would have served as a focal point in a room and a talking point for guests-functions it still performs just as well today.

H 75cm x W 160cm x D 160cm
H 29½” x W 63” x D 63”