Paul Flato Rhinestone Dogwood Compact Powder & Mirror Gold Plated 1940's Excellent
This is a gorgeous 1940's Paul Flato gold plated powder and mirror compact, with dogwood blossom rhinestone design.
It features a gold plated lid with 12 gold dogwood blossoms with rhinestone centers. The four sides are also a high polish gold plate finish. The bottom is a brushed satin gold plate finish. All of the blossoms and rhinestones are intact and secure.
There is some very minor scuffing on the bottom of the compact, as well as very slight oxidation around the raised dogwood blossoms, otherwise it is in excellent condition.
It opens to a beveled glass mirror, that exhibits some very slight hazing, but still displays a clear image. The powder compartment door is hallmarked "FLATO" on the lower right side.
The powder well is clean and includes the original used Flato hallmarked powder puff.
This stunning compact measures 2 3/4 inches square by 1/2 inch thick, and comes in a white organza gift pouch and box.
Additional Information about the jeweler by ENID NEMY
Published: July 23, 1999
Paul Flato, the innovative American jeweler whose diamonds were worn by Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth and Merle Oberon, died July 17, 1999 in a nursing home in Fort Worth. He was 98. In the 1930's, he counted both socialites and movie stars as clients and his creations were seen in a number of films. Flato jewels adorned Merle Oberon in ''That Uncertain Feeling,'' Rita Hayworth in ''Blood and Sand'' and Greta Garbo in ''Two-Faced Woman.''
Mr. Flato began his career as a watch salesman in New York in the early 1920's and soon opened his own jewelry business on East 57th Street in Manhattan. Within a short time he was one of the best known jewelers in New York.
''He was the first of the major American jewelers to do highly imaginative work on a par with European jewelers,'' said Penny Proddow, a jewelry historian and co-author with Marion Fasel of several books including ''A Century of Spectacular Jewelry'' (1996). ''He would take his ideas to his four designers -- they were his hands -- and they would go on from there to his workshop.''
This rare original Paul Flato compact would make a very special gift, and a fabulous addition for the collector of 1940's Hollywood Regency.
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