A chest (also called a safe or chest) is a piece of furniture, usually of rectangular construction, with four walls and a removable or hinged lid, used for storage, usually of personal effects.The interior space can be subdivided.

Descriptions

A chest is a (usually rectangular) box with a removable or hinged lid to protect personal items.Some cases are equipped with a locking mechanism or a metal strap that can secure the lock.According to Webster's Dictionary (1988), a chest is "a box with a lid, usually a lock, used for storing or transporting things" or "a cabinet for storing medical supplies, toiletries, etc." A chest designed for linen or other soft items will have a very smooth or polished interior, while a chest designed for heavy equipment or weapons will have a rougher interior.Boxes were mainly used as storage units in the past, today they are also used as decorative furniture or seating.

Types and terminology 

Other words for chest include:

• Safe, a term used from the Middle Ages for a storage box, usually round-topped and covered with leather,now usually implying storage for money or other valuables.

• Kist a word dating back to 14th century Scotland, from Old Norse kista, and "chest" from Old English cest.

A cassone is a carved or painted chest associated with late medieval and Renaissance Italy.Cassones, also known as wedding boxes or wish boxes, are often used to carry dowry during marriage ceremonies.The Dutch Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) often used a simple chest called a wakis ("wagon-kist") as a seat on a horse-drawn carriage.To make it more useful, it usually has a wooden support in the center of the top so that the seated driver does not slide off so easily.In addition to this use, they are also used for home storage; keeping clothes, food, and other goods safe.They usually slope downward on one or more sides, but are always level at the top.Many are made of strong woods, such as yellowwood, so they last a long time.Some manufacturers also paint relatively simple designs on the front of the kist, reminiscent of, and presumably originated in, Europe.In some Slavic countries, such as in Ukraine and Serbia, chests are family relics, especially in peasant families.Every Ukrainian girl receives her breast at the age of 15 as a dowry for her future bride.Peeking at a girl's chest is considered bad manners.The coffers are an indicator of a family's wealth. Ukrainian girls and women also use them to store clothes and some personal items towels, jewelry, embroidery tools, etc.Large collection of Ukrainian traditional boxes of 18-20 cc. Preserved in Radomysl Castle (Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine).

In many Arab countries, boxes are used to store the captain's personal effects, such as the Kuwaiti box.Today, many Middle Eastern furniture cabinets are known by place names, such as Oman or Bahrain, but this usually refers to where they were purchased rather than manufactured.Others are used to store bed linen and household items that girls collect in preparation for eventual marriage, often called hope boxes.In Arabic, there are two terms for a trousseau: muqaddimah for storing the bride's personal belongings; and 'sunduq', usually in pairs, for other goods.In fantasy, fable, and games, a treasure chest is often used as a plot device to store treasures such as gold or jewels.A toy chest is a type of chest that usually carries children's toys, like dolls or building blocks.