14 THE BADMINTON CABINET, 1720–32 SOLD: £19,045,250

Standing at 12 feet tall, this ebony, gilt- bronze and

pietra dura cabinet was crafted for Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, by 30 experts at Florence’s Grand Ducal workshops. In 2004, it was sold by Christie’s to Vienna’s Liechtenstein Museum for £19,045,250 – breaking its own record as the most expensive piece of furniture ever sold at auction.