Center tables are named for their usual location in the center of a room. They became popular in the United States in the early 1800s and were often used in conjunction with table lamps. This example has a particularly finely proportioned baluster-form pedestal. Rhythmic swellings in the legs’ profiles add unexpected visual interest. The thoughtful details of the design indicate a highly skilled, though still anonymous, maker.

Adapted from Lonn Taylor and David B. Warren. Texas Furniture: The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840–1880. Vol. 2. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 2012.