TDC
Suffragette Brooch
14Kt yellow gold (585); pearl; purple/pink and green stones
signed and marked
1 1/8” long x ¾” wide
Description: A suffragette coloured brooch of a fly or bee featuring colour-coded jewels of a green stone abdomen, white pearl thorax, and violet/pink eyes, all set in a figural 14kt gold body. The colours coming to stand for ‘Give Women Votes’ and the colours for verdant hope, purity and quality of purpose, loyalty and consistency of purpose.
Sylvia Pankhurst, one of Britain’s leading suffragettes, describes their advent in her book:
“The introduction of the colours, purple, white and green, which the [Women’s Social and Political] Union now adopted for its own. The colours at once secured a most amazing popular success for, although they were not even thought of until the middle of May, before the month of June arrived they were known throughout the length and breadth of the land.” June, 1908. [1. Other suffrage societies soon afterwards also adopted colours. The Women’s Freedom League chose yellow, white and green, and the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies red, white, and green.]
~ ‘The Suffragette; the history of the women’s militant suffrage movement, 1905-1910.’ Sylvia E. Pankhurst (1882-1960).
Condition: Excellent
For Accuracy: an Antique it may show expected light signs of age and use related wear. The identity of the jewels is unresolved (we are not gem specialists and the colours indicate they may be atypical stones). The hinge and clasp work perfectly.
