Cupboard: Detail from the Setúbal Altarpiece, 1520-1530 AD

Except for beds, tables, chair, stools and plain chests, wooden furniture is largely a post-medieval development. This little cupboard from the Annunciation panel is therefore especially interesting, as it shows how the idea of a standing cupboard might have developed from a simple chest, with the addition of front-opening doors. It is used here to store books; bookshelves were unknown in the 16th century.