Ella Jerman-Riddell
Sale Coordinator
Lady Glenconner: My Life in Objects
Lot 105
Nancy Lancaster's 9 carat gold and gold-mounted travelling leather vanity caseThe gold marked NM, London 1920
19 November 2025, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£20,000 - £30,000
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Madeleine Cater
Associate Specialist
Charlie Thomas
Group Head, Private Collections, Furniture & Works of Art, U.K
Nancy Lancaster's 9 carat gold and gold-mounted travelling leather vanity case
The gold marked NM, London 1920
The black leather case made by Pitway Brothers London, with divided hinged lid enclosing a fitted interior containing a variety of gold and gold-mounted boxes, jars and other dressing accessories, all with engine-turned decoration, to include: four 9 carat gold boxes of various size; six glass bottles engraved with the monogram 'NKT' (for Nancy Keene Tree, Nancy's initials at the time); a cylindrical bottle; six jars and covers of various size; a hand mirror; a shoe horn; a boot pull; two hair brushes; and two clothes brushes, together with a silver photograph frame (British Metallising Co Ltd, London, possibly 1929, the image inscribed 'To darling Nancy/with best love from Michael, the whole case within a protective canvas outer case, the case, including handle: 41.5cm wide, 31cm deep, 32cm high (16in wide, 12in deep, 12 1/2in high) (6 items of weighable gold: 913gms) (qty)
The black leather case made by Pitway Brothers London, with divided hinged lid enclosing a fitted interior containing a variety of gold and gold-mounted boxes, jars and other dressing accessories, all with engine-turned decoration, to include: four 9 carat gold boxes of various size; six glass bottles engraved with the monogram 'NKT' (for Nancy Keene Tree, Nancy's initials at the time); a cylindrical bottle; six jars and covers of various size; a hand mirror; a shoe horn; a boot pull; two hair brushes; and two clothes brushes, together with a silver photograph frame (British Metallising Co Ltd, London, possibly 1929, the image inscribed 'To darling Nancy/with best love from Michael, the whole case within a protective canvas outer case, the case, including handle: 41.5cm wide, 31cm deep, 32cm high (16in wide, 12in deep, 12 1/2in high) (6 items of weighable gold: 913gms) (qty)
Footnotes
The above lot was likely to have been a wedding present and given to Nancy in 1920 (the assay date of the gold) on the occasion of her wedding to Ronald Tree, the British Conservative Party politician, journalist and investor who established the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados.
The photograph included in this lot is of Michael Tree, son of Nancy and Ronald Tree.