Badminton cabinet
- When Piece was Created: 1726-32 Florence, Italy
- Size: 386 × 233 × 94 cm
- Price at Auction: $36.6 million
- Where Sold: Christie’s Auction House, London
- When Sold: 2004
- To Whom: Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein
*Twice held the record for the most expensive piece of furniture ever sold
30 craftsmen from Florence worked to create the office and it took almost 6 years. The bureau was commissioned in 1726 for Henry Somerset from a noble British family.
A desk made of black wood and gilded bronze, inlaid with stones and minerals was the pinnacle of their craftsmanship.
The bureau contains 10 boxes made of cedar, inlaid with images of birds, flowers and leaves, and decorated with panels of amethyst, quartz, relief bands of lapis lazuli, red and green Sicilian jasper, and lion mask garlands.
At the four corners stand four figures symbolizing the seasons.
