What is the Renaissance piece of furniture that has drawers in the frieze and doors beneath separated by a narrow panel or pilaster? (chest of drawers appear in the 16th century)

• A. Sgabello
• B. Cradenze
• C. Cassone
• D. Savonarola

Answer: (B)

The form being tested is a Renaissance credenza (cradenza): a storage piece that combines a row of drawers in the frieze above with a pair of doors below, separated by a narrow vertical panel or pilaster. This arrangement provided practical storage for small items in the upper drawer tier while keeping larger wares behind doors, all presented with a rhythmic, paneled front typical of Renaissance design. The word cradenza is Italian in origin and these pieces were common in 16th-century interiors, often richly inlaid or marquetried to showcase craftsmanship.

This isn’t a sgabello, which is a simple three-legged stool with a backrest; nor is it a cassone, which is a large trunk or marriage chest without a drawer-and-door arrangement; nor a Savonarola chair, a distinctive folding chair with a curved back.