LONDON.- The contents of the late luxury watch manufacturer Severin Wunderman’s 12-bedroom chateau in the South of France made a staggering £357,000 today (23 June) when they went under the hammer at Bonhams, Knightsbridge.

The third in a series of sales of Wunderman’s collection conducted by Bonhams was a huge success with a 96% sale rate.

Wunderman, the founder of Gucci timepieces and owner of Swiss luxury brand Corum, was well-known for his eclectic taste, and the sale attracted buyers looking for unique, one-off pieces.

Top prices were paid for a pair of larger-than-life Majolica hens, which sold for £3,480; a pair of early 20th century African elephant tusks mounted as a dressing mirror, which made £6,240 against an estimate of £3,000 – 4,000; a 19th century provincial French walnut commode, which fetched £7,800 against an estimate of £800 – 1,200; and a set of Louis XIV style walnut dining chairs, which also sold for £7,800.

The sale, which comprised 18th and 19th century furniture, sculpture, hunting trophies, glass, ceramics, and 18th and 19th century paintings, follows excellent results achieved at Bonhams auctions of the contents of Wunderman’s California and Chelsea homes in May and November 2009, which fetched $500,000 and £889,902 respectively.

Proceeds from this auction go to the Severin Wunderman Family Foundation, a charity that supports research into incurable diseases.

The chateau also housed the majority of Wunderman’s vast Jean Cocteau collection, which is being sold by Bonhams, Knightsbridge on 22 September.