The cabinet-vargueno was created by an unknown author circa the 17th century. The cabinet was used to store papers and possibly jewelry. It has a folding door that could be used as a desk. The case of the cabinet stands on low legs - they are decorated with figures of lions sitting on their hind legs. It is known that the cabinet originates from Spain, but researchers could not determine the exact city. The very name ‘vargueno’ (or ‘vargeno’) is associated with the Spanish city of Vargas: the furniture makers of this city specialized in cabinets.

The first such pieces of furniture appeared in Europe in the 15th century. At first they were considered ‘ladies' furniture’: they were small tables with lockers for papers and a folding board for writing letters. Later, the cabinets became larger in size, the number of drawers increased and they started to be used mainly for storage of important documents. The great number of compartments allowed to organize the papers, and a whole range of locks and secret sections allowed the owner not to worry about the safety of letters. As a rule, the cabinets had handles on the sides: they allowed to quickly transport the locker to new places. The rooms where the cabinets were located were later called the cabinet.

Spanish vargueno had distinct national features. For example, the masters put a substrate of expensive fabric under the carved metal plates. The cabinet from the collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum has velvet substrate under bronze plates. Previously the fabric had saturated warm golden color, but over time the pile has worn out - only the textile base remained. Spanish national features include iron locks with hanging handles, and geometric patterns in the design.