A silver gilt and red enamelled torah crown made by Gerald Benney (1930-2008) could achieve £50,000-60,000 ($81,000-97,000) at a silver and distinguished design sale at Bonhams London on November 20.
 The Torah crown demonstrates Benney's skill in enameling |
Created in 1996 for the celebration of 3,000 years of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the crown features 10 silver gilt flames pinned to red enamel that symbolise the burning bush that spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.
The underside features two cylindrical recievers that allow for storage of the Torah scrolls.
It spent a number of years on display at London's Victoria and Albert Museum as part of its Sacred Silver and Stained Glass galleries.
Regarded as one of the greatest British silversmiths of the 20th century, Benney was a prolific producer of fine silverware.
An 18 carat gold, boulder opal and enamelled oval box by Benney sold for £36,000 ($58,112) at Bonhams London in 2010.
An 18 carat gold buttercup sculpture by Lin Sproule, estimated at £40,000-45,000 ($65,000-73,000), will be another notable lot at the sale.
 Sproule's sculpture features a snail and a caterpillar on the stem |
The gold structure is designed to sway on a marble plinth. It stands over four feet high and features more than 100 flowers and seed heads.
A Hermes tan ostrich Birkin bag, circa 2002, will also feature, with an estimate of £12,000-16,000 ($19,000-26,000). A recent sale in Paris saw a Hermes crocodile skin Birkin make $82,600 - a record price for the brand.
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