An ingeniously fitted Irish silver and rosewood travelling necessaire for the Duke of Leinster crops up at Sotheby’s sale of Russian works of art in silver in New York on April 16.
The wooden case, banded in pierced silver, opens at the top and bottom. There is a coat of arms at the top, a pair of nesting beakers to the base. It is fitted with all the accoutrements necessary to a travelling gentleman. There is a scissors, tweezers, toothpick, mirror with folding handle, a botton hook, knife, nail file, blade, compass and even a corkscrew and a pen and ink holder contained in four oval numbered boxes. Just eight and three quarter inches high and complete with retailers mark of Fox of Dublin c1815 it is estimated at $10,000-20,000. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.
The Duke of Leinster’s travelling necessaire.
The coat of arms to the top.
The box with fittings.