Bohemian Rose Matrix Glass Cabochons. History and Provenance

These pretty vintage glass cabochons have a history and a story, these are a really cool find. The original packaging calls them rose matrix, but they are more of a salmon color, with brown and white glass that together, makes each cabochon unique and gives them an organic, natural feel.

These arrived in really interesting original packaging, with the applied sticker Bohemia-Germany, the Made in Germany stamp, and the second stamp, "Released by the Joint Boycott Council". With a bit of research, I learned that after the Nazis took power in 1933, there was a wave of boycotts across Europe, eventually reaching the United States. In 1936 in the US, the Jewish Labor Committee and the American Jewish Congress, both bodies already engaged in the boycott process, joined forces and instituted a "Joint Boycott Council". This committee was one of two major organizations in the US spearheading a boycott of Nazi Germany between 1936 and Pearl Harbor in 1941. Of course, boycott efforts became unnecessary when the US entered WWII in 1941.

The original packaging thus allows us to date these cabochons to the period of time when the Joint Boycott Council was active, between 1936 and 1941.

Very pretty and rather unassuming little cabochons, but think of what was going on in the world and Bohemia when glass artisans made these - that's a story...

Products related to this history can be found right here on Bumbershoot Supplies.

Miriam Haskell Flower Cameo Cabochons at Bumbershoot Supplies

At Bumbershoot Supplies, we are very interested in the provenance and history of the vintage supplies we offer. For this reason, I am constantly researching our supplies to learn as much about them as I can. On the weekend, I was again reviewing one of my resources, this book...

And what did I find on page 353?

This signed Miriam Haskell pendant and earrings set. The pendant features a gorgeous vintage glass flower cameo cabochon. And guess what! We now carry these cabochons at Bumbershoot Supplies!

These are exquisite flower cabochons. They have a decal transfer expertly applied to white glass, and then white accents were hand painted on top of the decal. These truly beautiful pieces are in mint condition, and the delicate hand painting really elevates them to something special.

Many of the items we sell at Bumbershoot Supplies were sold to me as Miriam Haskell stock, especially our vintage glass pearls. But I hesitate to label them as Haskell unless I have further verification. So I'm really excited to be able to say that these flower cabochons are the same ones that the Miriam Haskell Company used in some of their designs.