Gerald Benney CBE (1930-2008)

Born into a highly creative family, Gerald Benney was immersed in the arts from an early age. His father was a painter, while his mother was an accomplished silversmith, inspiring his lifelong passion for metalwork. After leaving school, he studied silversmithing at Brighton College of Art, before continuing his training at the Royal College of Art in London.

In the early 1950s, Benney established his first workshop just off Tottenham Court Road in London. From there, he quickly built a reputation, securing commissions from both private collectors and corporate clients.

In Gerald Benney Goldsmith (London, 1998), author Graham Hughes notes that the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths became Benney's first significant patron, beginning a relationship that spanned more than 47 years. This early support was followed by a succession of prestigious business, private, and Royal commissions. His exceptional craftsmanship earned him the distinction of becoming the first British craftsman to hold four Royal Warrants simultaneously.

The Benney Bark Finish

One of Gerald Benney's most celebrated innovations emerged by chance during the 1960s. While hand-raising the bowl of a silver cup, his hand slipped as he was using a damaged hammer, leaving behind a richly textured surface reminiscent of tree bark. Rather than removing the accidental marks, Benney recognised their unique aesthetic and began incorporating the finish into many of his works. This signature technique became known as the 'Benney Bark Finish', and remains one of the defining characteristics of his work.

Mastering the Art of Enamelling

In the 1970s, Benney turned his attention to enamelling, a craft that had largely fallen out of practice by this time. Keen to revive the technique, he persuaded the renowned Norwegian enameller Berger Bergersen to train himself and his craftsmen in the intricacies of the process. By 1971 the Benney workshop had perfected translucent enamels in green, blue and red, and since that date, the initials of the studio's skilled enamellers are generally shown on the silver they enamelled in addition to Gerald Benney's maker's mark.

The McAlpine Family

One of Gerald Benney's big patrons was Alistair McAlpine, who was at the time running his family building and contracting company. He invited Benney to put up a temporary building as a place of work at the company's empty site Falcon Wharf on the Thames riverfront. Alistair was "a lover of all the modern arts, a powerful socialite, an ideal patron if you could retain his interest". Together with his then wife he went on to commission over 450 works from Benney and introduced his work and talent to his friends and family, in this case his older brother Sir William. The lots in this auction reflect the delight of craftsmanship that Sir William took in elevating everyday household items into things of rarity and beauty.

Collection Highlights

A rare silver and enamel table box

Amongst the collection highlights is this large and rare silver and enamel table box. The lid is inset with red, yellow and green. These colours were the racing silks of Sir William's father, Robert Edwin McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of Moffat (23 April 1907 - 7 January 1990) who was an enthusiastic racehorse breeder, owned his own stud at Henley-on-Thames, and was chairman of Sandown Park Racecourse.

A rare silver, blue enamel and opal set box

The collection also includes a rare silver, blue enamel and opal inset box, dating from 1973. The use of this blue enamel seems to be rare for boxes of this form. More typically, as with the example purchased by The Queen Mother and presented to the Shah of Iran in 1974, the enamel surround tends to be red.

A rare and large silver green enamel ice bucket

Another stand out piece is a rare and large silver and green enamel ice bucket, dated 1972. Unusual in form and scale, this ice bucket is also distinguished by having no enameller's marks. From the early date of the work, and innate quality, it may be that the enamel work was executed by Gerald Benney himself. At the time of cataloguing this piece, no similar work has been found indicating it may be a one off commission and that the process of enamel decoration over such a large domed surface had proved to be so demanding it was never attempted again. Reflecting on the difficulties of enamelling Benney had noted of his earliest attempts: "For two years great crates full of rubbish. The least speck of dust, or a tiny air bubble, can ruin enamel."

Other Collection Highlights

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Auction Details

Wednesday 12 August, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing at Dreweatts London (highlights): 16-17 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5LU
  • Monday 27 July: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 28 July: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 29 July: 10am-4pm
  • Thursday 30 July: 10am-4pm
  • Friday 31 July: 10am-4pm
• Viewing at Dreweatts Newbury (full sale): Donnington Priory, RG14 2JE
  • Saturday 8 August: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 9 August: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 10 August: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 11 August: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 12 August: 10am-4pm

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