This rare type of chest of drawers was probably made to protect and display a lapidary collection of a wealthy collector or merchant. Two similar chest of drawers are in the Barberini Palace, Rome.
A related specimen marble inset commode from 'Una dimora di Piazza Farnese', was sold at Sotheby's, Casino dell'Aurora Pallavicini, Rome, 18 May 2004, lot 429. The same commode, subsequently in the collection of Edric Van Vredenburgh was sold Sotheby's, London, 6 June 2006, lot 21; while another related commode from the Collection of Marcel Puech was sold Etude Tajan, Paris, 8 November 1999, lot 69. A final closely related example was sold anonymously at Christie's, London, 9 November 2006, lot 94.