Writing Desk Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Made by cabinetmaker Alex Martin in . This writing desk for Walter Blackie, for The Hill House, Helensburgh, is considered to be one of Mackintosh's most accomplished pieces of furniture design. Three working designs exist for this piece (all in the collection of Glasgow University), showing the desk's evolution and reflecting discussions that must have taken place between Mackintosh and Blackie. The ebonised wood is inlaid with luxurious materials that reflect the composite shapes of the desk: squares of mother-of-pearl on the doors, and dotted lines of ivory along the top curves. The result is a piece of furniture with proportional and musical harmony.