The lady and the travelling hat trunk

The cover of the catalogue for Adam's Sunday interiors' auction in the St Stephen's Green saleroom tomorrow features an image of Lot 130, an attractive pastel Portrait of a Lady with a Large Hat by Charlotte Blakeney Ward estimated at €1,500-€2,000.

The portrait isn’t dated but auctioneer Kieran O’Boyle said it was “probably drawn circa 1910”. That fits. Spectacularly elaborate hats, often adorned with ostrich plumes, were a hallmark of Edwardian fashion.

How did women transport these unwieldy wardrobe items? The answer, serendipitously, can be found in an unrelated item in the sale, Lot 160: a "Louis Vuitton travelling hat trunk" (€2,000- €3,000). The rectangular, leather and brass-mounted trunk, with a fabric-lined interior, was made in 1914 and, crucially for collectors, still has the label of the maker.

At the time, according to the label, Louis Vuitton had just four shops – in Paris, Lille, Nice and London.

The auction also features some high-quality period furniture, led by lot 238, a late George II mahogany "serpentine front" gentleman's writing desk attributed to William Vile, a famous 18th-century cabinet-maker, estimated at €18,000-€22,000. Lot 307 is a fine Regency dining table, described as "possibly made by William Trotter of Edinburgh" and estimated at €15,000-€20,000; and lot 245 is "an exceptionally well made George IV breakfront bookcase by James Winter & Sons" estimated at €10,000-€15,000.

Among other lots, anyone looking for a gift for a special 70th birthday celebration may be interested in Lot 471, a bottle of Pommery champagne from 1945 estimated at €300-€400.

And to drink it from? A pair of "Irish George III silver loving cups" made by Matthew West in Dublin in 1790 and estimated at €3,000-€5,000. Viewing today at Adam's, 26 St Stephen's Green 11am-5pm. Auction tomorrow, Sunday, June 14th, at 11.30am. See adams.ie