LONDON.- Today, Sotheby’s London sold a magnificent Italian Baroque cabinet on stand, recently reunited by Mario Tavella, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Head of the Company’s Furniture Division, in its sale of Highly Important Italian & Continental Furniture for A magnificent Roman Baroque Cabinet on Stand the cabinet circa 1669-75, the console first quarter 18th century, estimate: £700,000-1,000,000 £1,084,500. Four bidders, two on the telephone and two in the saleroom, competed for the ebony cabinet by Giacomo Herman - depicting the Churches of Rome and including a virginal - and its reunited sumptuous gilt wood console carved with naked youths kneeling to support the weight of the cabinet, for almost five minutes, until it finally sold to a Private European Collector on the telephone.

Commenting on today’s sale, Mario Tavella, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Co-Chairman of Italy, said: “This is the most important and expensive piece of Roman Baroque Furniture ever sold at auction, and we are delighted with the level of interest the cabinet has attracted over the past few days from private collectors, the trade and public institutions. The fantastic price achieved for such a remarkable piece of Italian furniture demonstrates that there are numerous serious collectors who have not been influenced by the current minimalist trend and desire pieces of extraordinary design.”

Although three cabinets were now known to exist, this fourth companion described in the 17th-century entry remained unaccounted for and was thought lost to posterity, until earlier this year when Mr Tavella received a photograph of a magnificent Roman console table. The masterpiece, which had previously been presumed lost or destroyed, had in fact been standing safely in a restaurant in York. It occurred to Mr Tavella that the console may have been the missing stand for an equally important cabinet which Sotheby’s had been keeping in storage on behalf of a client for more than 20 years. Mr Tavella’s theory was to be proven correct, when the two pieces were meticulously reunited and the cabinet was graciously on the top of the console, where it fitted perfectly.