E W Godwin for William Watt. An Anglo-Japanese ebonised and carved purdonium

An Anglo-Japanese ebonised and carved purdonium (attributed) to Edward William Godwin and probably for William Watt, 1870s, 110cm high, 40cm wide, 38cm deep. The square sectioned gallery top and moulded shelf supported with fine angle brackets and square section uprights that disappear into the top of the main body of the cabinet in the same way the upper shelf on a music Canterbury disappears into it’s top that we know was designed by Godwin (images attached). This is a highly unusual design detail which Godwin has used on many occasions particularly on his most famous design his Anglo-Japanese sideboard with an arrangement of openings and voids and hinged side flaps, you can see the same detail where the upper section has four supporting uprights to the front disappear into the base just before the front edge. When one starts to look at all of Godwin’s designs collectively we can see this quite unique detail he has used on many other pieces. See Weber Soros. The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin. The lower section of this perdonium with a moulded top above a hinged cupboard. A fretted brass pull that has an engraved floret to the central lozenge, the central panel with carving and oriental fretwork with embossed Anglo-Japanese style leather or paper behind, the whole on tapered legs united by Anglo-Japanese stretchers on gilt metal and porcelain castors. Circa 1870's.