Cabinet of Wonder, Indeed

Over the weekend I took in a small show at the Met, one of my favorite spots for artistic time traveling. Proving again that they don't make them like they used to, 'Vanities: Art of the Dressing Table' charts the development of the bathroom furnishing from a B.C.-era Egyptian box to Chippendale shaving stand to a 1969 Pop-arty valet by Raymond Loewy. The amazing piece shown here was designed and built by the Roentgen workshop in 1769; watch the intricate unfolding process—complete with white gloves—here.