A really lovely vintage dark oak hand carved hall table by Colin 'Beaverman' Almack. Almack was one of Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson's craftsmen. He worked for Thompson during the 1940s and 1950s. He set up his own workshop in 1960 and adopted the beaver as his signature. This hall table is in very good condition with just signs of wear consistent with age and use. It has wonderful patina and it is a gorgeous dark oak colour with the carved beaver crawling up one front leg. The beaver signature is early and resembles the Thompson's mouse signature in that it looks almost like a mouse with a beaver tail. 
 
As with a lot of these tables, the top has been treated with a polyurethane lacquer to protect it from stains, so there are no stains to the top, just a few faint scratches to the lacquer and some of it has peeled off at the back where it has been pressed up against the wall (see picture), not noticeable except on really close inspection, but should be pointed out. It has been beautifully adzed to the top which really reflects the light, especially if a lit lamp or candlesticks are displayed on it. There are also bits of pippy oak (see picture) in the grain, which gives the table more character. The drawers knobs have been carved into roses, which is a really nice feature.
 
The width of the table is 68.5 cm, the depth is 35 cm, and the height is 56 cm. A really lovely early Beaverman piece.