the.com/hope chest

means A chest in which a young, unmarried woman stored linens, quilts, and household goods she had made or collected in preparation for her future marriage and home.

from The practice dates to a time when a bride was expected to arrive at marriage with her own household linens, so families — often starting when a girl was young — filled a 'hope chest' (also called a dower chest or cedar chest) with handmade textiles and keepsakes. 'Hope' names the aspiration baked into the object: a home and marriage not yet arrived. The cedar-lined versions became popular partly because cedar's scent and oils helped repel moths from the stored fabric — a practical detail that outlasted the custom itself.