What is this?

Pictures just pretty much confirm my thoughts above. Think it is a bedroom piece. Maybe could call it a gentleman's chest.

The mold is not that big of a deal. A bleach spray solution will take care of it. You can buy some ready made or about a 20% bleach to water solution should be strong enough. They say a 20 min. application is necessary to be effective. This means re-wetting if it dries too quickly. If there is mold on the outside, there is liable to be mold on the bottom and inside as well.

Ammonium chloride based fungicide products are more effective and work faster. I use one but don't expect everyone to have this on hand. They can be purchased on the internet under various product names if interested.

What ever method you use, a final coat of varnish is desirable to seal the wood. However, if the piece remains under dry conditions, this is probably not necessary. If used in damp or humid conditions, you might want to consider this step.

 

isn't the white mildew ?

 

Mold or mildew are pretty much the same in causation and treatment. There do seem to be some differences but some definitions state that mildew is a stage or growth pattern of mold. It also appears that Mildew is part of the larger family of Molds. I did find that mildew was commonly described as white or grey, whereas, mold was generally described as being other colors. This does not appear to be universal and there are thousands of varieties of molds and mildews in various colors.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mildew

http://inspectapedia.com/mold/Mildew_Photographs.php

 

Indeed.
This is why I stated mold.
I know much about it including how to check its growth. >
Temp below 86*.
No light.
Increased air movement.
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I was concerned for bleach on the wood though that should kill the spores.
Better yet, put it in something, seal it off and ozone it.
Then wipe off what can be. Stains will likely remain.
If not critical, kill it with something like bleach or Tilex and replace the back.
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Never breath mold spores if possible. They can, and have, killed people.

 

When I had a flood, I was told to use the diluted bleach solution that Brad mentioned but also to put the piece out in direct sun for at least an hour or two to make sure all the mold spores were dead.

 

There are better things than that and usually this will work.
But... Sometimes they come back under the right circumstances.