A chest is one of the oldest forms of furniture. It is a rectangular structure with four walls and a liftable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided.

A cassone is a kind of carved or painted chest associated with late Medieval and Renaissance Italy. Cassone were often used to carry the dowry goods in a marriage ceremony.

In Medieval and early Renaissance times in Europe low chests were often used as benches while taller chests were used as side tables. By placing a chest on the side on any kind of rough table, the inner surface of its lid could be used as a proper writing surface while the interior could house writing implements and related materials, as was the case with the Bargueno desk of Spain. Many early Portable desks were stacked chests, with the top one having its lid on the side, to serve as a writing surface when opened.