How do you clean the leather top?

Dust it with a dry cloth first. A soft brush helps clear dirt from any gold tooling around the edges. Use a specialist leather cream sparingly if the surface feels dry. Buff it off quickly so the wax doesn't build up in the blind tooling.

My uncle left me a large circular table with drawers, and I was wondering if the revolving top means it was definitely used for collecting rent on a farm?

Not necessarily. While people call them rent tables, the revolving top was just a practical feature. It saved users from walking around the table to find the right drawer. Many sat in private libraries for general correspondence. The design suited country house management, but it wasn't restricted to collecting tenant money.

Why do some drawers not open?

Those are dummy drawers. The circular frieze needs them to keep the pattern consistent. The internal carcase blocks certain sections. Fixing a fake front over these parts solves the visual problem.

I need to move one of these into my study through a narrow doorway, can the top usually be taken off the central pillar?

Yes, you can detach the top. Most antique drum tables separate into two main parts for transport. Look under the tabletop for large screws or a wooden block holding the frieze to the pedestal. Once you undo the fixing mechanism, the heavy top lifts straight off the base.

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Antique Drum Tables

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Antique drum tables are circular library or centre tables featuring a deep, drum-like frieze fitted with drawers, set on a central pedestal and used primarily for reading, writing or estate management.