Cute little brooch, green shoe.

Hi, does anyone have an idea if this cute (very small) brooch is contemporary, or maybe a bit older, like retro or vintage? All insight is appreciated.
Vic

 

That's a funny little thing. Size? Material? Any marks? And is clasp a safety pin?

Debora

 

I'm trying to work out if it's enamel.

 

Piece looks like a more contemporary molded resin to my eye. That is not to say it isn't from the 80's or 90's.... Someone with more experience in costume may chime in on the bit though

 

Thanks for all the replies.

 

Looking very much like a safety pin....

 

It is plastic.

 

I haven't found any marks. The clasp is like a safety pin indeed. It is really small, less then 1.5 inch at the longest.

 

Thanks, its possible.

 

What color is it? (Looks dark green on my screen but suspect it may be black.)

Debora

 

It is dark green.

 

The pin closure looks European to me. U.S. jewelry seldom has that type pin closure. I'd say French. It probably had a bunch of siblings in other accessory styles, colors. Like handbags, gloves, hats, etc.

Would be used as socalled scatter pins on the front of a sweater or cardigan. That fashion was first popular in the 1940s into the 1950s and has since seen revival attempts.

If well made, it could have been a designer line to relaunch the scatter pin fashion. Jewelry designers often made smaller lines to round out their main styles. It could even have been designed as jewelry for dolls if very small.

I'd expect it's well made because this type of pin back closure is not wasted on cheap jewelry, they'd just have a basic C-hook. Handcrafted artisan jewelry also have mostly C-hooks. Artisans hardly ever spent money on the type of better pin closure seen on this brooch.

 

Thank you for the interesting answer. It makes sense that it might be European, I live in Europe and bought it here. I would say it is well made.
Do you think it is contemporary, or hard to tell?

 

This looks like its back is a real live safety pin embedded into the resin. The shoe design is pure 1920s, but the safety pin itself is probably 1980s or later. The only time I've seen that done, the pins were Russian. Which doesn't mean much.

 

Hi,
One of my friends used to buy pins like these with a safety pin back in the 1970s here in New York. She must have had 50 or 60. Lots of people selling home made things like that back then.
greg

 

I'm going to disagree re shoe style. I see more of a 1930s silhouette. But it's a fantasy shoe. The toe a little too pointed and the heel a little too high to fit neatly into anyone era. I'm with Greg on this one; my best guess would 1970s. Lots of interest in retro then and the deep green colorway fits the era.

Debora

 

Forget the pins, I WANT THOSE SHOES. Someone else will yell dibs on the doggie.

 

I love the 1930s shoe silhouette. Like a little hoof.

Debora