Only a prolific and generous, educated and sensitive and conceptually very daring author such as Alessandro Mendini could devote so many of his thoughts to a class of furniture that is usually left out, by designers as well as by critics: the chest of drawers. This object has deep and historically well-established roots, between aristocracy and bourgeoisie, but in more recent times it still manages to bring back memories for all of us, as it was usu- ally to be found among family furniture that we used to see in our grandparents’ houses.