Last summer my colleague Noah Joseph wrote about the bespoke Rolls-Royce picnic set designed for the new Phantom, which harks back to the golden age of motoring. Now an original version – designed for a Rolls-Royce owner back in 1905 – is being offered for sale. The perfectly preserved case was made to double as a footrest in the passenger compartment. It contains a picnic service for four, ingeniously designed to accommodate sandwiches, tea, coffee and cocktails. Tucked into the lid are two leather-wrapped stainless steel thermoses, four dishes with recesses for teacups, a matchbox, and utensils including forks, mustard and butter spoons and bone-handled knives from Joseph Fenton & Sons of Sheffield. The case's bottom holds two glass bottles wrapped in wicker for water or wine, two flasks with fitted metal cups, an enameled container, a kettle and burner, four teacups, four smaller glass bottles, ceramic mustard and butter pots, salt and pepper jars and a small tin. M.S. Rau antiques of New Orleans is offering the piece of classic automotive history for sale at $14,800.
