A collection of furniture, which was bought for the first location of the European Commission in the UK, Kensington Palace Gardens, in 1957, is to be sold at Bonhams, Knightsbridge, as part of its monthly Period Design sale on 7 December 2010.
The furniture moved from Kensington Palace Gardens into 8 Storey’s Gate in 1983 when the EC changed premises, and there it remained until October this year. On the EC’s latest move to Smith Square, it was decided that the furniture would be submitted to auction.
The furniture includes a Victorian mahogany and leather upholstered armchair (estimate £800 ? 1,200); a large Regency style dining table (£600 – 800); a set of 24 George III style mahogany dining chairs (estimate £1,500 – 2,000); and a pair of gilded cast iron lamp bases (estimate £300 – 500).
As well as witnessing the EC’s role as a delegation (1957-1973) and representation (from 1973, when the United Kingdom became a member of the then European Economic Community), it has been used by many key political figures, from Michael Heseltine to Neil Kinnock, to name a few.
All proceeds of the sale will be donated to the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund.
www.bonhams.com/perioddesign