Of what might be regarded as an early form of "precision bench lathe", the remains of this lathe has a number of unusual design feature including, on the headstock casting, a raised, hollow rectangular boss beneath the spindle and  a machined surface on the lower front section of its front face - the function of which are unknown. The tailstock is of the lever-action type with what might be a unique assembly, a second bar parallel  to the spindle appearing to allow adjustment of the pivot point.
Although the form of the lathe is like that of a toolmaker's machine. where a screw-feed compound slide rest assembly would have been fitted - and other accessories available - perhaps this example was supplied just for spinning. Running in what will almost certainly be ball races, the headstock spindle has a single pulley and, clamped to the bed, a properly-made and quickly-adjustable block with a series of holes drilled to hold a bar against which a spinning tool can be levered. Note the levers used to lock the tailstock spindle, the tailstock to the bed and the bed-mounted block - all three are of the same identical and elegant design - and obviously original to the lathe.