A highly visual guided tour of the world's most ancient and enduring furniture form - the chest - this book includes fascinating historical examples as well as outstanding modern chests. A chest is more than a big box to store blankets. From time immemorial, people have used chests to protect their greatest valuables. The treasure in these chests ranges from jewellery, silver, and money to heirloom blankets and precious historical artifacts. But the real treasure is the chests themselves. Each one is remarkable either for beauty of design and execution, historical significance, or because it is one of the best examples of its kind. Each of these items of furniture has a story to tell.