Vintage Hand Painted Flower Brooch - Lucite 1940's (SOLD)

This is a super 'make do and mend' brooch dating from the World War Two period, 1939 - 45.  It is a 'diamond' shape of thick Lucite with hand-painted flowers on it and a cut and gilded border.  The flowers are very niaive and look like two open daisies with yellow middles.  There could be a patriotic message in this vintage brooch as one of the flowers is blue and white and the other is red and white!  This vintage lucite brooch measures 1 inch by a little over 2.5 inches and has a white metal pin and 'c' clasp set into the reverse.  It is in very good condition and is ready to wear or add to a collection of vintage bakelite era plastics.

Lucite is Dupont's Trade name for their acrylic plastic which they patented in 1936.  ICI used the name Perspex for their similar material.  In the Jewellery trade the name ' Lucite' is favoured for all acrylic pieces as it was the most widely coined term for American Jewelry. Lucite brooches from the 1930s, 1940's and 1950's are becoming firm favourites with collectors.  Just recently a collection of these early plastic pins appeared on the BBC Antiques Roadshow.   It is easy to see why they appeal - each one has been hand produced so there are natural variations in the style and design, the material is light making the brooches very easy to wear.  The 'see-through' nature of the Lucite makes the brooch take on a different appearance when pinned onto various coloured clothes.