Austrian carpenter Vinzenz Hefele built this Biedermeier secretary in 1840 as his masterpiece - something Germanic tradespeople must build to in order to attain guild membership. The purpose of the piece was to demonstrate Hefele's exceptional craftsmanship.

With more than 100 drawers - most of which are hidden and accessed via intricate, yet simple mechanisms - Hefele's secretary certainly does the trick. 

The desk took more than a year-and-a-half to build. It's made of walnut and measures five feet tall and three-and-a-half feet wide.

Watch Johannes Ranacher, a conservator at Austria's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), reveal the desk's secrets in the video below.

If you're interested in learning more about what it takes to become a master craftsperson in Germany, and more about what qualifies as a 'masterpiece', check out this excellent article from Core77: https://www.core77.com/posts/51480/What-It-Takes-to-Become-a-Master-Fur…