Antique 1920’s ART DECO Sterling Butterfly Wing Reverse Painted Pendent Necklace

The beautiful iridescent blue and green hues of the reverse painting scene of palm trees by water on glass are created using preserved Morpho butterfly wings set under a domed tear-drop glass cabochon within an ornate beaded and ribbed Sterling setting. This pendant, popular during the Art Deco era from the 1920s-1950s, is in excellent pre-owned antique condition. The mark England Sterling 3, patent number 202213, indicates the “reverse painting” technique used in butterfly wing jewelry by Shipton and Company of London in 1922. British registered design numbers, introduced in late 1883, provide a precise date for the piece. The striking, vibrant blues and greens, and potentially other iridescent colors create a “glowing and almost holographic effect” characteristic of this style of jewelry. The pendant measures 1” W by 1 3/4” L with a bail. The vintage 18” twisted rope chain, marked 925 Italy with a lobster clasp, is not original to the pendant. The pendant is gifted boxed.