The set came from Earlshall, Leuchars in Fife, a commission for the then-untried architect Robert Lorimer from R.W. Mackenzie. It was part of a group of fittings specifically designed by Lorimer in 1899 to complement Mackenzie's collection. Made by Whytock and Reid, the set was sold as part of the contents of Earlshall by Christie's in September 1993 for £3150, and by them again in 2002 when the Salisbury vendor had paid £22,000. A move to a smaller house prompted him to put it into Woolley & Wallis's rooms sale with a similar, but punchy, £20,000-30,000 estimate.
"It's a very specific market" said specialist Michael Jeffery of the set which, at 8ft (2.44m) long, was not the easiest piece to accommodate. Fortunately, two interested private buyers came forward. A London-based buyer with a Scottish house beat a Scottish rival with a winning bid of £25,000.
