Viral A Good Quality C.1882 Octagonal Victorian Oak Centre Table Flash Sale: 70% Off [h3bTveNS]

Origin: English
Period: Victorian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1882
Height: 30 inches
The Top: 36 x 35.5 inches

The late Victorian oak centre table, having an octagonal top with eight segmented oak veneers, with two frieze drawers below with Hobbs & Co brass locks, the pierced brass bat wing handles with registration lozenges for 28th Marsh 1882, the whole on quadruple square column supports to an `X` stretcher, standing on reeded scroll legs with brass crescent sabots and castors.

The table is in good condition overall. There are two areas of veneer lift to the top, which are bubbled, though these are not larger than 3cms and could be given some attention. Elsewhere the well-figured top is in good condition. All of the components of the table are true and original such as the castors, handles and turnings, with no later replacements. She remains sturdy and moves on her castors.

Alfred Charles Hobbs (October 7, 1812 – November 6, 1891) was an American locksmith. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1812 though both of his parents were born in England. Hobbs went to London as a representative of the New York company of Day & Newell, which was exhibiting at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hobbs had brought with him his boss Robert Newell’s Parautoptic lock, designed to compete with, and surpass, the locks available at the time in Britain. He was the first one to pick Bramah’s lock and the Chubb detector lock at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and forced the lock manufacturers to improve their designs. Hobbs became one of the founders of the lock-making firm of Hobbs Hart & Co. Ltd. The company started in 1851 and was formally registered as Hobbs and Co. in 1852. One would find Hobbs & Co locks more commonly on pedestal desks or writing tables. It is quite unusual to have the registration lozenges on the handles.

As centre tables go this is of a higher quality than many of the others made in the period.