EXCEPTIONAL BAROQUE 17th CENTURY AUGSBURG CABINET SELLS FOR ALMOST HALF A MILLION AT BONHAMS Our Coverage Sponsored by Bergen Linen
A masterpiece of German and Italian craftsmanship with Florentine Grand Ducal pietre dure panels, from the famed Ballyfin House in Ireland
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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”.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge, Oxford and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
