£3.7m paid for commode

An ornate chest of drawers thought to be crafted by Thomas Chippendale has sold at auction for more than £3.7 million, setting a new world record.

The serpentine-shaped Harrington Commode, dating from approximately 1770, went under the hammer for 3,793,250 during a sale at Sotheby's in London on Tuesday, more than three times its estimate.

The final price exceeded the previous world record for a piece of English furniture sold at auction by more than 1m. That was held by a George II Parcel-Gilt Padouk Cabinet-on-Stand attributed to Chippendale which sold for 2,729,250 at Christie's in June 2008.

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The George III commode was housed at Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire, and sold by order of the Trustees of the 10th Earl of Harrington's Will Trust. Auctioneer Henry House said: "The final price demonstrated true demand for items of quality. It has been an honour to sell it."

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