Catalan chest from the 16th century. Oak wood. Original lock. Some old restoration. Wear and tear due to use and the passage of time. Measurements: 60 x 138 x 55 cm. The chest is the most important piece of furniture in Europe from the Romanesque period onwards, and it enjoyed a special boom at the end of the Gothic period and during the 16th century, until it was finally replaced as a piece of representational furniture by the chest of drawers. The one we present here belongs to the group of chests known in documents as "arcas embasadas de moldura, que dicen barcelonesas", typical of Catalonia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands and Valencia in the 16th century. This type of chest is very different from the contemporary French chest, although similar to the Italian one. Although they originated in the Crown of Aragon (specifically in Barcelona, according to their name), we now know that they were made all over Spain, as the guild ordinances of the time of Charles I dictate how they were made. In any case, they are betrothal chests, also known as "caixas de novia" (bridal chests), which were an essential part of the wedding trousseau. The front of this example is carved with star-shaped motifs in the manner of cathedral rosettes, ovals and geometric borders.