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Gorgeous Hippo Brooch by Lea Stein of Paris (SOLD)
This is the cutest plastic Hippo brooch ever! It is by the famous Parisian designer Lea Stein and it has her signature on the 'v' shaped pin fastening to prove it. I have seen a few Hippo pins by Lea Stein but never one is this very pleasing colourway - it has the true grey body but the head is finished in cream black and red which gives the brooch great impact. The Hippo Brooch has googly eyes which give him a slightly comical appeal. The little Lea Stein Hippo Brooch measures about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. This is a contemporary design from Lea Stein who is famed for her jewellery, particularly her animal designs which have featured cats, foxes, dogs, birds and many other things over her history. Now for that history -
LEA STEIN was born in Paris in 1931 and worked as a dress designer. She began making her now famous Jewellery when her husband, Fernand Steinberger, ( a Plastics Chemist ) discovered a process of laminating cellulose acetate to create a unique range of colours & patterns.
Buttons for her frocks were their first products; followed by brooches, bangles and earrings. The factory was forced to close in the 1980’s but has since re-opened much to the relief of costume jewellery collectors and Lea Stein fans. Lea Stein loves to produce designs based on animals and flowers. Now she is quite an elderly lady but still introduces a couple of new designs each year.
Each brooch has the trademark ‘V’ shaped pin on the back and is signed: ‘LEA STEIN PARIS’. The manufacturing process used means that no two pieces are exactly alike. The fabulous designs, the ease of wearing and their quirky appeal are just some of the reasons why they are so collected around the world today.
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