Halcyon Days Gladys Deacon Large Enamel Box

The North Portico at Blenheim Palace was painted in 1928 by British artist Colin Gill. Staring down from the ceiling are the bright blue eyes of Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough (née Gladys Deacon). She was reported to have climbed the scaffolding whilst the artist was painting to give him a blue silk scarf that matched her eyes as a reference. This superb enamel box is ornately decorated with 24ct gold and all the inscriptions are in Gill Sans – a font created by Eric Gill the cousin of the artist.