Need help dating a sequin butterfly brooch

[zannew]

Hi All,

I would like your opinion on the age of this brooch. The white sequins are not faceted. The rhinestones are secured with black prongs. It measures 4" x 4".

Thanks!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I remember seeing similar styles in the late '80s to early '90s - I think they were made in an Asian location like Hong Kong.

 

[Pinkcoke]

Nicole I wondered how long does it take the silver lined beads to oxidise?

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Melanie, my understanding is that it can happen quite quickly under the right conditions.

I've just noticed the box: is that the original box? In which case it could be much older. The large size and style, as well as seeing similar things made me think of a recent date.

 

[Marzilli_Vintage]

It looks like it could be a 'teens dress appliqué to me.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Good point Lynne,

zannew, can you tell if the sequins and beads are made of glass, plastic or gelatin? Any idea of what the backing fabric composition is? To know whether the materials are natural or man made can make a lot of difference.

 

[zannew]

Hi! I took some pictures outside in natural light and with a zoom lens in order to try to show more detail. I also researched Tate-Brown Co., the name on the box. I cannot know for sure if this is the original box. The store was around in the very early part of the 20th century, maybe even the latter part of the 19th century. There are pictures on-line of the store and there are horse and buggies in the street. It seems to have started as a mens and boys clothing store, but I found an ad from 1933 that mentions mens, boy and womens clothing.

I had thought, when I first saw this, that it could be an embellishment meant to be worn on a 20s or 30s dress. The material on the back feels like something other than cotton - perhaps a silk faille?

 

[Marzilli_Vintage]

The back doesn't look like it has the slightly ribbed surface of a faille, but I do think it's a dress appliqué, probably 1900 - 1920's.

 

[zannew]

Thanks! The back has a very fine ribbed texture that I wasn't able to capture with the camera. I appreciate your help! Excited it's that old!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Thanks for the additional photos: I can see now that it's much older. The backing fabric reads like a crepe de chine.

Melanie, it's probably the harsh climate in Australia but I've seen oxidisation in badly stored items of only ten years old.