It's rare, but occasionally I do get inquiries from people who have stumbled across a vintage item, asking me to identify it and give an idea of what it might be worth. Sometimes I can give a definitive answer, sometimes I can't. Anyway, I thought I'd dig through my inbox and share one of these items with my readers (all 2 of you, ha) from time to time. Today I bring you a very pretty green and gold filigree vintage compact with a peacock on it that, unfortunately, I'm still not able to identify. The person who emailed me with these pictures said it belonged to her great-grandmother, who in her words was a "well-situated lady", so she thinks it may be more high-end (Elizabeth Arden or Estée Lauder).
I have searched everywhere and can't find a compact that had this same peacock on it.
Many other compacts have a similar inner lid mechanism, but that particular clasp and notch seem to be unique.
To my eye, those details most closely resemble Kigu – a London-based company with roots in Budapest. (You can read Kigu's history here.) Here are some examples of this brand's compacts:
(images from etsy.com)
I can't say for sure though, without seeing the top of the inner lid and the bottom of the compact – these may provide additional clues. There's also the matter of what looks to be a little knob on the upper left of the inside of the lid to help keep it closed:
None of the Kigus I've seen have that. I've also looked through the catalogs and archives at the Kigu website, and there was no peacock compact.
Since I really can't say for sure what this is, I'll throw it out to you: does anyone recognize this compact and know for sure the company that made it? I'm so curious and would love to have an answer! I suppose I could submit the pictures to Kigu and see if it's one of theirs.