cabinet

A piece of case furniture consisting of a set of small drawers or compartments fronted by one or more doors, and intended for the storage and possibly display of small objects.

The cabinet originated as a luxury item in Italy in the 16th century, and by the time of Louis XIV in France and Charles II in England, it had become very fashionable throughout Europe. At that time the design of cabinets was elaborate, with much use of costly materials. Hence the term cabinetmaker came into use to denote a maker of fine-quality furniture.