I have a Medusa I am going to restore... I would really like a new high quality cabinet for it!

Would your cabinet maker be interested in building another and shipping bare cabinet to me?

I think I can do the painting myself. I am thinking "royal purple" in place of original red with "gold flake" for the yellow/gold stencils. Then a gold coin door and ordering metallic purple legs and armor from HemiOrange.

Stone idea is awesome (kind of obvious in retrospect, so I am amazed no one else has done it)!

I wonder how much more the resto would cost if you got a sculptor and stone mason to help you build a solid marble cabinet?

Lots of ancient buildings originally had ornamental marble facades which have been pillaged for museums, other buildings, etc. over the millennia. So, some of what you are seeing may be the underlying (though still decorative) stone foundation work?

Additionally, there are some crazy marble colors out there not just greys and whites (though they and tan or rose are mostly what you see in modern architecture).

Anyway, I'm already impressed with your ideas and attention to detail! Can't wait to see this one when it is done (and am looking forward to following your progress along the way)!

What about hiring someone to lightly etch or chisel the stencil patters into the wood (which looks thick and quality enough to take it)? Then you could paint the grooves like it's real engraved stone?

I realize that would add to the cost, but ignoring that for a second (as well as it probably being easier to do before the cabinet was assembled), what do you think of the idea?

Yes indeed! Especially if you used "royal purple" instead of a "sweet deep red"! RP would be easier than stone and also thematically accurate (though not as much as stone)!

Oh, I agree stone is awesome but beyond my capabilities... I could probably handle Royal purple and gold leaf though.