It is not often you find an early table in such original condition....this fine example is from the end of the 17thc and is made of the finest English Oak of the period....the first thing I noticed was the wonderful natural colour...it is almost claret and the thing that really excites me is the way the wood has shrunk over the years and pushed out the oils and dirt to give this lovely colour complete with grain ''bleed'', which with a gentle polish gives you this natural patina....something you cannot fake..! The size makes this table very desirable along with the shaped ''gun barrel'' legs and all the stretchers have a line scribed into them....and as if that is not enough it has all the original feet....one foot has stood on the damp floor and the ''vascular bundle'' (the tubes that transport the water through the tree) can clearly be seen....the hinges, although different are the original....often the furniture maker would use what hinges he had, even if they were different....I h...