A pair of hall benches, designed by Robert Adam in the 177os for London's famed Kenwood House, and missing for over 100 years, went on display June 27  in the booth of Godson and Coles at Masterpiece London 2012. The benches quickly sold through funding from the Iveagh Bequest and The Art Fund will be returned to Kenwood House when it reopens this autumn after an extensive restoration project.

These historic benches were recently rediscovered by Godson & Coles and are clearly visible in the Country Life photograph of Kenwood House taken in 1919 while the house was still owned by the Mansfield family.

 In 1922, following the death of the fifth Earl of Mansfield the house and its contents were sold at auction, these benches being either lot 874 or 875. Their whereabouts have until now been unknown.

Their discovery serendipitously coincides with English Heritage’s large restoration project at Kenwood House that began in April 2012 and will be completed by summer 2013. 

In 1754 Kenwood House was bought by William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield. He commissioned Robert Adam to remodel it from 1764-1779.  Robert Adam (1728–92) was one of the most important British architects working in the Neo-classical style. He was a main force in the development of a unified style that extended beyond architecture and interiors to include both the fixed and moveable objects in a room. He incorporated design ideas from ancient Greece and Rome into his forms and decoration. As well as Kenwood House, his famous London houses include Osterley Park and Syon House.