Cabinet Unit

The cabinet unit displays the changes brought about by the influence of the Renaissance on the design of handcrafted works north of the Alps. Although the two-level structure is still in line with medieval formal norms, the unit façade is structured by an artistic, architectural system. There is an arrangement of simple compartments behind the doors of the lower level, whereas the upper level contains an in-built cabinet with numerous compartments. When the doors are open and the tabletop extended, the unit transforms into a writing desk. Cabinets of this kind were relatively rare, because the typical cabinet unit that developed in the course of the 16th century based on Spanish models consisted solely of the cabinet, placed on a specially made base frame. (Barbara Til)