This monumental façade cupboard is an impressive embodiment of the revival of ancient architectural forms in the Renaissance era. It is divided into three horizontal structural elements: a podium, a chest with two hinged doors, and a cornice. Skillful carvings and elaborate veneer inlays (marquetry) comprise the imposing display side. The doors give the illusion of two floors, each with an arch (blind arch). Three flat protruding pillars (pilasters) with vertical grooves (fluting) resting on richly decorated plinths and with Ionic capitals frame the doors and appear to support the ostensible entablature. Decorative motifs such as vases antique in style, filigree floral tendrils (grotesques), and plant-spouting grimacing heads (mascarons) as well as virtuoso ornaments consisting of intertwined ribbons (scrollwork) further enliven the façade.
Such stylistic elements became widespread from the sixteenth century onward through architectural treatises and textbooks, which led to their adoption in furniture production. The cabinet was made for one of the venerable town houses in the former Free Imperial City of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which flourished in the second half of the sixteenth century. The cupboard is a significant reflection of the wealth of its erstwhile owners.