A French Silver and Vermeil Travel Necessaire

Louis Aucoc Aîné, Paris, Mid-19th Century

the case bearing the coat of arms for the commune of Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine above the Latin motto SI OMNES EGO NON; the fitted silk interior housing vermeil articles and silver mounted glass articles bearing the same coat of arms and stamped AUCOC AINE; the box signed L. Aucoc aîné a Paris.
Height of case 9 1/2 x width 18 1/2 x depth 14 inches.

Provenance:

A gift from Marguerite-Marie-Aurélie, Vicomtesse de Montaigne de Poncins (1859-1954) to Aline (Thorold) Wythes (1869-1951) in 1939 at The Wood House, Essex, thereafter and by descent to

Aline Mary Margaret (Elwes) McDonnell (1923-2023) Greenwich, Connecticut, and thence by descent.

Note:

The present lot is sold with hand-written correspondence between Marguerite de Poncins and Aline (Thorold) Elwes dated 1939 upon the date of gift and thereafter a letter of July 10 1948 from Aline (Thorold) Elwes to her granddaughter Aline (Elwes) McDonnell upon the occasion of her marriage to Hubert McDonnell Jr. (1919-2004).

The Vicomtesse de Poncins was the niece and heiress of her uncle, Marquis Charles de Biencourt, camp marshal then deputy of the nobility who bequeathed his collections to her following the death of his two sons.

Pictured:

An 1807 engraving of Copped Hall, S. Rawle from a drawing by S. Shepherd.

Aline Elwes McDonnell and Family, circa 1954.