This looking glass was one of the earliest pieces of furniture produced by the Century Guild, and was probably executed by Collinson and Locke, an established furnishing firm in Fleet Street, London, c.1882. It was displayed alongside matching chairs and a secretaire at the Century Guild's first exhibition appearance in Enfield, London. The undulating fretwork brackets were inspired by natural forms, a distinctive feature that Mackmurdo wove through many of his designs for furniture, textiles, wallpaper and book illustrations.