Morpho Butterfly Wing Painting

Description

Morpho butterfly wing art was a craze, popular during the Art Deco 1920’s, first unveiled to the public at the British Exhibition of 1924.  The most famous butterfly wing artist of that time was Dorothy Buckley. She used a reverse painting on glass technique. Measuring 9cm square in a metal with timber back frame, this artwork is 100+ years old.  This may not have been one of Dorothy’s, but it is of the same quality as a Shipton & Co.

Dorothy Buckley was one of the three major artists working in Birmingham for Shipton & Co, retailers of antiques & jewellery.  A patent was applied for in 1922 by this company for the manufacture of paintings on the reverse of glass, backed by butterfly wings. This was granted and they made many of these between 1923 and 1939, then WWII brought an end to such frivolity and the company focused on war work. There was a short resurgence after the war, where they were sold on Cunard liners.

Shipton & Co, began in 1870 when Albert Edward Shipton founded the company. Since then the company has been passed on from generation-to-generation. Now it lies in the hands of the fifth generation, Jasper May, great great grandson.