Jacobean Oak Mule Chests

In the early 17th century oak chests with 2 drawers in their base were made and were known as mule chests, "mule" meaning hybrid of two pieces of furniture. This marks the first, primitive, attempt at the chest of drawers, the antique ancestor of the tallboy.

Mule chests had traditional chest lids and the two drawers were known at the time as tills or drawing boxes.

Later in the Jacobean era, more skilled use of dovetail joinery allowed for chests of drawers proper to be made.