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Ended

The Contents of Kerfield House

11 September 2025 | starting at 10:00 BST

Please click here for Post-Auction information on Collections, Shipping & Storage

Opening days & times:
Monday 18 August, 10:30am – 4:00pm
then, every Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm
until 4.00pm on Wednesday 10 September

Weekend viewing:
Sunday 7 September, 11:00am – 3:00pm

Bonhams is delighted to present The Contents of Kerfield House at 101 New Bond Street this September. The Georgian-styled house on the outskirts of the Cheshire market town of Knutsford was originally constructed in 1860, before being transformed under Percy Scott Worthington in 1912.

It has been the home of John and Elaine Johnson since 1987 and it is here, explains daughter and antique dealer Holly Johnson, that their taste for collecting grew in scale. Each room was decorated with Elaine's own individual style to have a distinct identity, using wallpapers by the likes of De Gournay and fabrics and trims from the Paris fabric houses.

Their love for travel, combined with Holly's growing businesses as a dealer, saw key pieces of the collection sourced from France, Holland and Italy. The grand piano by Pleyel Lyon and Cie was removed from a chateau near Montauben with a crane as it was too large for any of the doors, with the bedroom furniture attributed to Zwiener came from Paris and Nice.

Auction highlights

Lot gallery

183 lots available

An Italian late 19th century carved marble figure of a childProbably Florentine

A late 19th century composite cut brass and scarlet stained tortoiseshell 'Boulle' desk set

A Regency rosewood and cut-brass inlaid secretaire cabinetEnd of the first quarter 19th century, possibly Scottish

A late Regency mahogany and ebony line inlaid sofa tablePossibly Scottish

A pair of French late 19th century kingwood, walnut, parquetry and gilt metal mounted jardinièresIn the Louis XVI style

A French late 19th century kingwood, parquetry and gilt bronze mounted breakfront vitrineIn the Louis XVI style

A mahogany Carlton House desk20th century, in the George III style

An collection of early 20th century continental gilt metal and moulded 'malachite' glass dressing set pieces

A Victorian red Moroccan leather and gilt embossed scrapwork album

A good mid 19th century English gilt bronze and malachite set carriage clock timepiece In the manor of Thomas Cole

A collection of malachite clad items19th century and later

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe OBE RA(British, 1901-1979)Canada Geese feeding by the edge of a pool

Edward Nevil(British, 19th Century)Strasbourg; Antwerp; Brussels; Malines (the two smaller: 38 x 26cm)

Arthur Charles Fare(British, 1876-1958)St Paul's Cathedral

A pair of carved giltwood mirrorsIn the George III style

A carved giltwood 'half-tester' bed canapeIn the Rococo style

An Edwardian mahogany and boxwood line inlaid lady's folding dressing table with silver fittings Attributed to George Betjemann & Sons and probably retailed by Maple & Co

A French late 19th century kingwood, marquetry and gilt bronze mounted bombé commodeIn the Louis XV style, attributed to Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895)

A French late 19th century kingwood, marquetry and gilt bronze mounted double bedIn the manner of Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895), in the Louis XV style

A pair of French early 20th century kingwood, marquetry and gilt bronze mounted bombé bedside cabinetsIn the manner of Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895)

A late 19th century kingwood, marquetry and gilt bronze mounted dressing tableMade by Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895) in the Louis XV style

A French late 19th century kingwood, rosewood, marquetry and gilt bronze mounted bombé armoireIn the Louis XV style, attributed to Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895)

A pair of ebonised and painted cabinets, in the Japanese style

An ebonised, painted and gilt-brass mounted cabinet in the Japanese style

An ebonised and painted cabinet in the Japanese style

A French early 20th century walnut, kingwood banded, and gilt metal mounted dressing mirrorIn the Louis XVI style

A French early 20th century mahogany, thuya wood banded, and gilt bronze mounted kidney shaped dressing tableIn the Louis XVI style

A Louis XV style ebonised, marquetry and gilt metal mounted bureau platFrench, mid-20th century, in the manner of Charles Crescent (French, 1685-1768)

A large carved walnut Renaissance Revival library tableLate 19th / early 20th century

A rosewood, gilt bronze and cut-brass inlaid centre or library tableEarly 19th century and later

A fine Victorian figured and burr walnut gentleman's compactum or wardrobeLate 19th century, by Marsh and Jones, Leeds

A mahogany gentleman's wardrobeEarly 20th century in the George II style, in the manner of William Vile & John Cobb

A Régence style gilt bronze ten-branch chandelierFrench, early 20th century

Piero Fornasetti (Italian, 1913-1988): two waste paper basketsItalian, circa 1955, for Fornasetti Milano

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