The plain box, or chest, was the origin of all the developments of Mediaeval furniture. It had many uses: it contained the treasures and valuables of the lord; it was used as a packing-case or trunk for travelling; with supports at the four corners and back, and arms added above, it served as a chair or settle, with a seat that could be lifted on hinges; raised also on legs and supplied with a daïs, it became a _dressoir_, credence, or sideboard; chest-upon-chest superimposed, developed into the elaborate _armoire_; and, finally, supplied with a head and foot rail and made comfortable with mattress or pillows, it served as a bed. In the old manuscripts of the Middle Ages, we find many illustrations of the developments of the chest and its various uses. Fig. 4 shows a long chest with short solid legs on which bedding is laid, and over which a canopy with curtains has been raised. By its side is a chair, the seat of which is manifestly the lid of a small chest. The chest-bed and chair stand on a carpet: the floor is tiled. The shape of the pillow is characteristic of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The carving of the panels in bed and chair show the “linen fold,” which was so popular in the Netherlands and which was laid in even more intricate folds by the English carvers. Gothic tracery in furniture, in combination with the “linen-fold” is shown in the chair of Fig. 5, which exhibits also another chest, or _bahut_. The original illustration shows flames leaping up the chimney, against which the bed is closely placed. The cushions, with heavy tassels at each corner, are similar in shape to those in Fig. 4. There were several varieties of the chest, known by various names, such as _huche_, _bahut_ and _arche_. The _huche_ usually had a flat top: it was the oldest and simplest form—a plain oblong box. As time wore on the _huche_ gave its name to the cabinet-makers (the _huchiers_) of the Middle Ages. They made windows, doors, panels, shutters, _bancs_, _bahuts_, _armoires_, credences, and whatever else was required; and the guild of _huchiers_ was one of the largest corporations of the period. The _huchiers_ were particularly distinguished for their execution of choir-stalls and splendid carving. The _huche_, at first a very simple piece of furniture, was later decorated with beautiful paintings and rich carvings; moreover, it was enriched and strengthened with chiselled and pierced iron hinges and locks. The chests until the thirteenth century were works of simple carpentry. The faces consist of plain surfaces which are ornamented with paintings on linen or leather; and further adorned with hinges and clamps of pierced and wrought metal.