396 - A gentleman’s silver gilt travelling / dressing case by Gerald Benney, 1962, comprising five rectangular boxes of varying sizes, with pull off covers, all suede-lined, a cologne bottle with screw cap, a silver gilt backed clothes brush and comb, all with textured ‘hatch’ finish, with maker’s mark ‘AGB’ and London hallmarks, contained in a crocodile skin attaché case with fully fitted suede interior, the drop-down inner leaf enclosing easel-back mirror, scissors and nail file, the case exterior applied with a brass plaque engraved ‘D.E.C. 1957-1980’, referring to Diana-Elizabeth Crombie, with outer brown canvas carrying case, case dimensions 29 x 19 x 5.4cm, boxes ranging in length from 3.5cm - 9.5cm. £6,000-£8,000

A gentleman’s silver gilt travelling / dressing case by Gerald Benney, 1962, comprising five rectangular boxes of varying sizes, with pull off covers, all suede-lined, a cologne bottle with screw cap, a silver gilt backed clothes brush and comb, all with textured ‘hatch’ finish, with maker’s mark ‘AGB’ and London hallmarks, contained in a crocodile skin attaché case with fully fitted suede interior, the drop-down inner leaf enclosing easel-back mirror, scissors and nail file, the case exterior applied with a brass plaque engraved ‘D.E.C. 1957-1980’, referring to Diana-Elizabeth Crombie, with outer brown canvas carrying case, case dimensions 29 x 19 x 5.4cm, boxes ranging in length from 3.5cm - 9.5cm. £6,000-£8,000 --- Provenance: This travelling case was a gift toDiana-Elizabeth Crombie from her boss Francis O’Brien Newman when she retired from his employment in 1980. Accompanied by a handwritten letter to Diana-Elizabeth Crombie from Gerald Benney on headed paper, in which he describes the set as ‘an exceptional piece of making’, enclosed in envelope dated for 26 July 2002. This case is one of six commissioned for Michael Behrens, Senior Partner in the Ionian Bank in Coleman Street, London EC2 with the objective of giving all his partners “everything they needed during a day trip to Paris’’. Francis O'Brien-Newman was an Irish-born private banker who built a prominent career in the United Kingdom's financial circles. In 1958, Michael Behrens and John Trusted acquired the UK-based parent entity of the Ionian Bank converting it into a merchant bank.In the early 1960s O’Brien-Newman was brought into the management of the newly structured Ionian bank and worked alongside Michael Behrens to build up its domestic corporate finance and advisory business. Another example of this dressing set is held in The Pearson Silver Collection. Condition Report Gross weight of weighable silver: comprising the five variously sized boxes and the perfume flask. Total weight: 884gm. (Boxes are suede lined) Plus additional silver gilt back clothes brush and comb. Dimensions: Cologne bottle: 6 x 5.6 x 3.5cm. Boxes: 1. 3.7 x 8.7 x 5.7cm 2. 3.7 x 7.4 x 9.5cm 3. 6.2 x 3.8 x 3.8cm 4. 3.5 x 9.4 x 4.8cm 5. 3.5 x 5.5 x 3.5cm ------ For more information, additional images and to bid on this lot please go to the auctioneer's website, www.noonans.co.uk