1950's Pressed Glass Ballerina Brooch by BIMINI

This a genuine Bimini 'Orplid' glass brooch from the 1950's.  It features a Ballerina Dancer.  The brooch is made from pressed black glass that has been enhanced by gilding.  The reverse has a circular brass plaque marked with the Bimini trademark - a little flower pot with leafy shrub and the words 'Hand Made' and 'Made in England'.  The pin fastens with an old-fashioned 'c' type clasp. The Bimini story is an interesting one.  Austrian Fritz Lampl was a Jew who came to England circa 1938 where he started his glass company in London creating hand-pressed glass.He made mainly buttons and some jewellery often using plaster casts of Roman Coins supplied by the British Museum to create his wares.  At one point he employed the young Lucie Rie to create ceramic buttons for his Company. The work was often marked with his trade-mark 'Flower pot' and at first he used the name 'Bimini' but changed this to Orplid.  The Company exhibited at the Festival of Britain in 1951 and their work was popular in post-war Britain.  Lampl died in 1955 and his Company died with him leaving us a legacy of fabulous, collectable, hand-made glass jewelry and buttons.  The brooch for sale would make a great addition to your Bimini collection or a lovely gift for a dancer.  the oval shape measures approx 4.5cms in length and is around 4 cms wide with a thickness of approx .5cm. This Vintage costume jewellery item is in very good condition with no chips or cracks or flaws.