or CABINET, the most retired place in the finest part of a building, set apart for writing, studying, or preserving anything that is precious.

A complete apartment consists of a hall, anti-chamber, chamber, and cabinet, with a gallery on one side. Hence we say, a cabinet of paintings, curiosities, &c. Cabinet also denotes a piece of joiner's workmanship, being a kind of press or chest, with several doors and drawers.

There are common cabinets of oak or of chestnut, varnished cabinets of China and Japan, cabinets of inlaid work, and some of ebony, or the like scarce and precious woods.

Formerly the Dutch and German cabinets were much esteemed in France, but are now quite out of date, as well as the cabinets of ebony, which came from Venice.