A
drawing board (also
drawing table,
drafting table or
architect's table) is, in its antique form, a kind of multipurpose
desk which can be used for any kind of drawing, writing or impromptu sketching on a large sheet of paper or for reading a large format
book or other oversized document or for
drafting precise technical illustrations. The drawing table used to be a frequent companion to a
pedestal desk in a gentleman's study or private
library, during the pre-industrial and early industrial era.