A very pure mid 17th Century joined oak centre table. Having a two piece cleated top, gun barrel turned legs, scratch moulded rails and plain stretchers. The absence of a drawer handle and the scratch moulding continuing onto the back rail makes this table useable in the middle of a room. Also what''s quite remarkable is that every generation since has resisted the urge to add a handle to the drawer. A great example of a refined table from the Cromwellian period.Cromwellian/Commonwealth (1648 – 1660).During the second part of the Jacobean Period, the influence of Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth resulted in a very plain style; designers emphasized function above all else. The strict Puritan beliefs were so intertwined with the furniture design that trends in other countries during this time did little to influence the Cromwellian style. Puritans discouraged over-the-top decoration, resulting in the decline of carvings and ornamentation. With carving virtually nonexi...