The late classical style of the early 1800s is closely associated with growing interest in ancient Greece and Rome, but another influence on the style was ancient Egypt. This chest of drawers is attributed to Irish-born Philadelphia cabinetmaker Joseph Barry, who advertised in 1812 that he had recently returned from the European style centers of London and Paris and offered to the public furniture "superbly finished in the rich Egyptian style." In 1815, he advertised chests like this one: "Eliptic [sic] Bureaus, [with] Columns and Egyptian Figures."