Cabinet sells for a record £19m

The cabinet was made under the supervision of the Foggini family

An antique cabinet has sold for £19m at Christie's in London, making it the most expensive piece of furniture to be sold at an auction.

The Badminton cabinet was bought for Vienna's Liechtenstein museum on behalf of Prinz Hans-Adam II.

The sale broke the cabinet's own record price of £8.5m when it was bought at Christie's in 1990.

The Florentine furniture was made between 1720 and 1732 for Henry Somerset, third Duke of Beaufort.

Bidding war

"We are delighted to have been the successful buyers today," said Dr Kraeftner, director of the Liechtenstein Museum.

"I tried to bid as fast as I could to secure this magnificent object for our collection. We look forward to welcoming the international public to view the Badminton cabinet in Vienna where it will be on permanent display from spring 2005."

Three other bidders had been competing to buy the cabinet.

The trustees of the Beaufort family sold the work in 1990 to the Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection for £8,580,000.

"Yet again the Badminton cabinet has pushed the boundaries of the art market. The cabinet transcends the boundaries of furniture, combining architecture, sculpture and painting, resulting in a unique masterpiece," said Charles Cator, chairman of Christie's UK and international head of furniture.

"It was an honour to be entrusted again with its sale and the price achieved today reflects the magnificence of this famous, much loved and admired work of art."