This cabinet is based on one from the 18th century. The inlay design on the drawers was produced with a technique called amielado, in which various enamels are used.

The earliest interiors of the Southwest looked very similar to those of Spain and Mexico of the same era—understated, sparse spaces that relied on a few important furnishings: a caja, or chest, chairs, cupboards, benches, tables and armoires. These massive, raw pieces stored household items and linens, and were pushed back against the wall. Mothers gave their most prized pieces to their daughters—some even were included in bridal dowries—and many furnishings were passed down through generations of the same family.

When Anglo settlers arrived in the 19th century, they brought with them a host of new ideas, tools and materials. Milled lumber came via railroad, and the Industrial Revolution ushered in newfangled equipment like the jigsaw, which allowed craftsmen to carve more ornate decoration, even from relatively brittle wood. Some carpinteros experimented with Federal and Victorian styles, resulting in a fascinating and unique series of pieces that epitomizes the multicultural civilization of the Southwest. In spite of these flights of fancy, Hispanic artisans ultimately retained their own vocabulary of colonial styles that has resisted changes in fashion and has stood the test of time.