but also to protect them from changes in temperature and humidity, which can damage instruments.

Many wealthy English families owned a chest of viols, which speaks to the popularity of consort music for viol in home music-making, as a private entertainment. In 1617 Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork bought a chest of viols for £8 sterling. £8 sterling in 1600 would be worth about US$1550 in 2010. A similar grouping can be found in chests