Badminton Cabinet

The Badminton Cabinet is a baroque cabinet, which has been produced in the 18th century in the pietra dura workshops of the Medici in Florence for the Duke of Beaufort in England. He is one of the most famous pieces of furniture and is currently the most expensive piece of furniture in the world. The wardrobe is on display at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna.

The cabinet is about 4 m high, 2.3 m wide and consists of ebony with gilt bronze. The pictures in the inlays on which birds and flowers are shown, contain lapis lazuli, red and green Sicilian jasper, amethyst and quartz. On top of the cabinet of figures, a clock and a coat of arms is crowned.

The third Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset, was the elaborate piece of furniture in 1726 on a trip to Italy in order; In 1732 it was completed. By 1990 it was owned by the Duke family before it was sold to Barbara Piasecka Johnson. In 2004, he was auctioned at Christie's in London for 17 million pounds ( 24.6 million euros ) plus buyer's premium and acquired by Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein.