LONDON.- Christie’s announces the country house sale – Kinross House, Scotland and Property from the London Residence of Mrs Winston Spencer Churchill, which will be offered at Christie’s South Kensington on 30 March 2011. The sale comprises over 300 lots of carefully selected treasures from these two fascinating collections. Estimates start at only £300, providing a wonderful opportunity for collectors to furnish their homes with a piece of true British history. The sale is expected to realise in the region of £500,000.

KINROSS HOUSE, SCOTLAND
Kinross House, Perthshire, is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful houses in Scotland. The house looks out over the shores of Loch Leven to an island on which stands the ruins of Loch Leven Castle – once the prison which held Mary Queen of Scots. Classically Palladian, this vast house was designed and built by Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie, 1st Baronet, between 1685 and 1693. Bruce is recognised today as a key figure in the introduction of classical architecture to Scotland. Most notably, as Surveyor General of the King's Works in Scotland, he was responsible for the creation of The Palace of Holyroodhouse in the form we see it today, however Kinross House nestling on the edge of Loch Leven is often referred to as his masterpiece. Kinross House is today owned by the Montgomery family, and has been passed down through many generations of the family over the past 230 years.

Several of the works of art included in the sale featured in an extensive article in Country Life magazine in 1912. When Christie's specialists visited the house to begin preparations for the sale, many items appeared as they were in the feature, virtually untouched for almost a century. Highlights include the 19th century oil on canvas by J Williams – Stobo Castle, Peebleshire (estimate: £3,000-5,000); a pair of George II carved mahogany pier tables, possibly Scottish, mid-18th century (estimate: £40,000 - 60,000); and a pair of bronze torcheres, after the antique, 19th Century (estimate: £4,000-6,000). Also consigned from Kinross House and to be sold at Christie's King Street in the Summer is a Scottish late George II mahogany display cabinet, after a design by Thomas Chippendale, possibly by Alexander Peter which is expected to realise in region of £100,000. The house itself is currently being offered for sale by Knight Frank and Strutt & Parker.

PROPERTY FROM THE LONDON RESIDENCE OF MRS WINSTON SPENCER CHURCHILL

Forming the second half of the sale is Property from the London Residence of Mrs Winston Spencer Churchill, the widow of the late Winston Spencer Churchill, grandson of the great wartime leader the Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill KG. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, the late Winston Spencer Churchill was a Member of Parliament for twenty-seven years. The Churchills decorated their Belgravia home with great style and a sophisticated taste, helped by their friend Marie-Luis Charmat. The works of art on offer at Christie’s reflect the charming interior they created, and offer collectors a chance to acquire art, furniture and objects from the collection of this illustrious family. Items range from a Regence carved giltwood marginal mirror, early 18th century (estimate: £3,000-5,000) and a French tulipwood and ormolu mounted bureau plat, of Louis XV style, early 20th century (estimate: £3,000-5,000) to a set of ten cream and red painted dining chairs, of Louis XVI style (estimate: £4,000-6,000) and a set of 20th Century oil on canvas wall panels by Ian Cairnie depicting classical Italianate scenes (estimate: £5,000-8,000).

Public Viewing: Saturday 26 March: 11.00am - 5.00pm
Sunday 27 March: 11.00am - 5.00pm
Monday 28 March: 9.00am - 7.30pm
Tuesday 29 March: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Auction: Wednesday, 30 March at 10.30am
Ecatalogue: Available online from March 2011 at www.christies.com/calendar