Godwin's sketches for eight-legged tables of this type are housed among his papers at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Most examples were made by Collinson & Lock with this one c.1875 consigned by a direct descendant of Andrew Muir (1817-99), a wealthy merchant who co-founded the Muir & Mirrielees department store in pre-revolutionary Moscow.
Sworders' specialist John Black received a snapshot of just the underside of the table as it lay in storage in a barn. It was water damaged and not easily accessible - "I had to jump over two fences, shuffle past donkeys and then squeeze into a damp stable to see it," he said - but an exciting find with a great provenance.
The winning bid, way above the £1000-1500 estimate, was tendered by London dealer H Blairman & Son.
The sale took place on June 2 and the buyer's premium was 22%.
