LONDON.- An exceptional example of Baroque opulence, a table top cabinet made by Elias Boscher in Augsburg with Florentine pietre dure panels, was sold for £482,500 (including premium) in Bonhams 5th December European Furniture, Sculpture, and Works of Art sale.

The cabinet belongs to a rare group of important table cabinets from Augsburg, made during the 17th century, which were originally commissioned as a testimony to the status and intellect of wealthy patrons.

It is one of a few surviving examples of this genre to bear the maker’s signature ‘Elias Boscher’ to the underside, together with ‘gemacht’, meaning ‘made’. Furthermore, the silver-gilt mounts are impressed with the hallmark of known Augsburg silversmith Johann Spitzmacher.

The pietre dure panels – marble inlaid with designs depicting birds and flowers in lapis lazuli and other hard stones – were produced by the Florentine Grand Ducal Workshops, or ‘Opificio delle Pietre Dure.’

Within this stunning museum-quality cabinet are some 40-plus drawers or compartments, some hidden, and all lined with exotic silks and intricate wooden marquetry.

The cabinet’s relatively recent discovery in 2006 represents a significant addition to this exceptional category of furniture. It was acquired during the first half of the 19th century by Sir Charles Henry Coote, 9th Baronet (1792-1864) for his palatial country house at Ballyfin, Co. Laois, and remained in the same family, passing by direct descent until sold in 2006 to the vendor, similarly a private collector of title.

Camille Mestdagh, senior European furniture specialist at Bonhams, comments: “We are delighted that this exceptionally rare cabinet, belonging to a distinguished group featuring examples in major international museum collections, has found a new owner. It serves as a testimonial to both Augsburg cabinet making of the highest calibre and the finest pietre dure work produced in the Florentine Grand Ducal workshops during the 1660s”.