From Rare Beilby Enamels To 20th Century British Painting: Bonhams To Offer The Cannon Collection This April

London — Bonhams is pleased to present The Cannon Collection, a broad and scholarly private collection to be offered in two parts this April.Reflecting a collector of wide‑ranging curiosity and discerning taste, The Cannon Collection brings together an exceptional array of categories. Egyptian and Roman antiquities are presented alongside Plantagenet coinage, while 19th‑century and Modern British painting is represented by significant works by Philip Alexius de László, Hilda Fearon and Ken Howard. A particular strength of the collection lies in its outstanding group of early English glass, which includes rare, enamelled examples from the celebrated Beilby family workshop in Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne and gilded glass from the London atelier of James Giles. Further fine examples of Jacobite engraved glass and sweetmeat glasses underscore the breadth and depth of the owner’s interest in this field.

All lots will be on view at Bonhams New Bond Street galleries from Friday 10 April. Part I, a live auction, will take place at Bonhams New Bond Street on 15 April 2026, with Part II presented online from 6–16 April 2026.

Charlie Thomas, Bonhams UK and European Director of House Sales, Private & Iconic Collections and Furniture commented: “The Cannon Collection is remarkable not only for its breadth, but for the careful judgement and intelligence that guided its curation. It brings together works that speak to a collector of deep curiosity and exceptional discernment, from rare Beilby enamelled glasses to refined portraiture by de László. It is a privilege to present a collection that reflects such a thoughtful and scholarly approach to collecting.”

Among the highlights of Part I is Philip Alexius de László’s Portrait of Helen Beatrice Myfanwy Hughes (estimate: £40,000–60,000). Painted in the artist’s London studio in October 1931, the portrait remained in de László’s personal collection until his death in 1937, after which it was inherited by his youngest son. Helen Hughes formed a friendship with de László’s son John during her visit to England that same year, and the portrait is an elegant example of the artist’s refined and stylish approach to portraiture.

The glass section is led by an exceptionally rare enamelled colour twist wine glass dated 1767 (estimate: £20,000–40,000). One of only two recorded examples (the other sold at Bonhams from the A. C. Hubbard Jr Collection in 2011) it is distinguished by its striking combination of red, yellow, blue and green twists, with the yellow thread being particularly uncommon. These glasses are the only enamelled colour twist wine glasses known. Also of note is a very rare Beilby enamelled armorial wine glass dated circa 1765–70 (estimate: £8,000–12,000), decorated with the arms of Right Reverend John Thomas (1712–1793), Bishop of Rochester. An exceptional canary yellow colour twist wine glass, circa 1765 (estimate: £8,000–12,000), represents another important highlight; the canary yellow thread is the rarest of all colour twist types, and examples featuring a bowl of this form are particularly scarce.

Further paintings in the sale include Hilda Fearon’s On the Beach (estimate: £8,000–12,000), a delicate and atmospheric example of the artist’s work, and Ken Howard R.A.’s Salute (estimate: £7,000–10,000), demonstrating Howard’s characteristic clarity of light and sense of place.

Part II, offered online from 6–16 April, features Philip Jackson’s Palestrina’s Pavan, standing 59cm high (estimate: £3,000–5,000). The online sale will also include a group of eight Roman glass vessels (estimate: £1,500–2,000), among other interesting works of art, clocks, and furniture.