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Butterfly brooch, gold-tone with blue enamel wings
Jewelry
A small figural brooch in the form of a butterfly with open, outspread wings. The body and wing borders are gold-tone metal with a textured/engraved finish on the body and a polished raised outline framing each wing; the four wings are filled with mottled sky-blue enamel (or enamel-paint) giving a slightly marbled, pearly effect. The reverse shows a horizontal hinged pin (pin-stem) with a rotating C-clasp catch — a standard brooch fastening. The metal is bright with light wear; the enamel is intact.
2025.1.81
Brooch
Belonged to Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez. Probably received as a gift.
The Cabrera Arús family collection
2025.1
MAKER: Unknown; unmarked in these views. No maker's mark visible on the back. Costume jewelry; manufacturer not identified. DATE / PERIOD: Not marked; mid-to-late 20th century (estimated) for an enameled gold-tone figural brooch of this type. Undetermined more precisely.
Metal
MATERIALS: Gold-tone (gold-plated or gilt) base metal with blue enamel or cold-enamel/epoxy resin filling the wings; steel pin-stem. Whether the blue is fired vitreous enamel or a cold enamel/resin is not determinable. TECHNIQUES: Die-cast or stamped metal body with textured detailing, the wing recesses filled with enamel/resin; hinged pin-and-catch assembly soldered to the reverse. Standard costume-jewelry brooch construction.
Good
Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez
owner
Havana
Cuba
Caribbean
Central America
use
Butterfly brooches were produced in great quantity by many costume-jewelry makers internationally across the later twentieth century, so the form alone does not localize or date it, and no maker or origin should be inferred from appearance.