Sale Vintage Rare Bakelite Butterscotch Deer With Leather Ears Pin Brooch Tested
VINTAGE RARE BAKELITE BUTTERSCOTCH DEER WITH LEATHER EARS PIN BROOCH TESTED. Extremely nice vintage condition with no cracks or chips. A brooch/pin is a wonderful addition of whimsey to whatever you are accessorizing and can be worn for any occasion.... Put it on a coat; use it to keep a scarf from flying open; wear on a shirt or lapel.
It is made of butterscotch bakelite and. Sports little ears made of leather and a glass eye.
A little Rudolph, just in time for Christmas. This butterscotch bakelite deer brooch with leather ears might be attributable to Martha Sleeper. There is no mark on it as to provenance; however I see it always as attributed to Martha Sleeper.
Martha Sleeper was an actress in the 1920's and19 30's who developed a very successful second career as a designer of whimsical jewelry, much of it done in Bakelite as animal figures. The deer was a popular figure. This one is done in butterscotch bakelite with carved spots, a glass eye, and leather ears.
I have no way of proving this is actually a Martha Sleeper pin because it is not signed or marked as is the case with most Bakelite. Condition is excellent for its with age and use. I have owned this brooch for decades and rarely wore it.Pin back has a c type closure. Please note that my measurements are approximate. Width 1.5'' at its widest. Length 3.5 including leather ears. If a Q-Tip turns yellow after testing, the piece is genuine Bakelite.
My research has produced the following information. Leo Beakeland (1863 -1944), a Belgian who had moved to America, was the inventor of Bakelite. Made by the condensation of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst, it was used for everything from tools and telephones to jewelry. "Bakelite" is frequently used as a generic name for all phenol formaldehyde, including Catalin and Marblette, which came later and in a wider range of colors. Making Bakelite jewelry was at it's zenith from the late 1920s till the start of WWII in 1942, and even after Diane Von Furstenberg and Hattie Carnegie, among others, leant their names to this wonderful jewelry. The sophisticated Deco and machine age look of some of the pieces made them fashion-forward. Smoke and pet free home. Once a piece leaves, I never, ever want to see it again! I hope each item I sell from my own life will spark joy in the next owner's life. Required by your country for importing consumer goods.