An oak chest with veneer with four drawers divided by panels, standing on short feet.

The top drawer, also known as “à doucine”, with a double curved profile, concave above and convex below, is characteristic of this period.

The wood top, made at a later date, is a replacement for the original which was possibly marble. Both the handles (which it should not have) as well as the escutcheons—which have replaced earlier oval ones—are new. The metallic ornaments in the top drawer and the plinth, as well as the sides, are also later.

The Louis-Philippe style (named after Louis-Philippe of Orleans, 1773-1850) would last from when it was first introduced (1830-1848) until practically the present day. It is known for its simplicity and sobriety, with little relief, and was aimed primarily at the new bourgeoisie, whose wealth was based on industry and manufacturing, which supported the king during his reign. However, this king was to earn the enmity of the people and the nobility to the point that he was eventually forced to abdicate.

At this time, the use of marquetry, which had been popular in the preceding period, declined and was replaced with solid wood furniture made with walnut, oak or cherry and covered with mahogany, maple root or yew veneer. The finish could be wax, mainly for solid wood, or varnished with rubber-lacquer, especially for , to bring out the patterns.

The modernisation of sawmills and associated industries made it possible to make furniture with increasingly finer wood veneers. The veneer, which started with a width of about 3 mm, eventually had a width of 1.5 mm thanks to the circular saw. Today one can find veneers of just 0.6 mm thanks to the use of mechanical saws.

For centuries, wood was cut mainly using a hand saw, a tool which can be traced back to the beginning of the Neolithic period made from stone with little cut indentations and a wooden handle. Thanks to the discovery of iron, hacksaws, hammers, rasps and files saw began to be used in Egypt.

At first, due to the shortage and imperfection of tools, wood was cut in thick planks (with a frame saw), until the more widespread use of the hydraulic saw, whose blade is powered by moving water. The exact moment of its appearance is unknown, although its existence was already recorded in the 13th century, and it was in the 15th and 16th centuries when its use was extended throughout the whole of Europe.

The circular saw was invented in Germany and patented in England in 1771 and the steam saw appeared in 1806 and was patented in 1820 in America.