As a working drawing, this design does not show a finished piece but an initial plan for the upper part of a piece of furniture, possibly a pedestal table or writing desk. The pillar is illustrated in two ways, straight sided and bulbous, showing Mackmurdo’s thought process as he imagines how the final piece will look. The drawing is similar in idea to a number of pieces of furniture designed by Mackmurdo in the 1880s.
