Boucher Enameled Grasshopper Pin

Boucher Enameled Grasshopper Pin


Genuine grasshopper	First "fake"	Second "fake"

The subject of this real/fake comparison is the delightful Boucher enameled grasshopper brooch. (Although I've never seen the piece in person, it's described as a "brooch" in Nancy Schiffer's Fun Jewelry.) Now, I've never seen either the real pin or its non-genuine counterparts in person, so my analysis is limited to what you see above, and to supplemental information as reported to me.

On the left is, presumably, the genuine Boucher grasshopper, taken from that invaluable resource book, American Costume Jewelry by Brunialti and Brunialti. According to the book, the piece measures 4 cm x 9.8 cm. (Translated into inches, that's approximately 1-1/2" x 3-7/8".) [note: replace w/Schiffer picture; Brunialti piece is damaged]

Middle and right are two alleged "fake" hoppers, both in private collections. I have been told that the fake hoppers measure 3-1/2" from top to bottom.

The first thing you'll notice about the genuine grasshopper vs. the other two hoppers is that it is done in silvertone; the other two hoppers are in goldtone. (Was the genuine hopper made in goldtone? As the other Boucher enamels from this period appear to be in silvertone, I tend to doubt it.) Second, you'll notice that the head is shaped differently in the two right-hand hoppers -- they have "scoop top" probosci (I hope that's a word) -- a small concave break between the head and the end of the proboscis. The genuine hopper's head curves smoothly down to the end of his proboscis. These are the two key pieces of difference you'll want to look for, in trying to ascertain whether a given hopper is genuine.

Another difference is the enameling. The genuine Boucher is "enamel-washed" -- that is, it was painted with a translucent enamel that allowed the silvertone metal to shine through. This produced a delicate metallic, almost pearly effect. (This is another reason why I tend to doubt that the piece was made in goldtone, because enamel-washing a goldtone piece would give a different effect entirely, and would cause the colors to be too yellow-ish.) The enameling on the two fakes, on the other hand, is opaque, heavy-handed, and much too bright.

You may notice that the two hoppers on the right appear somewhat different from each other. The first hopper is resting on a fully enameled sprig; the second appears to be resting on a goldtone sprig. Pictures of other fake hoppers that I have been shown vary also. Perhaps the two versions were manufactured by two different persons, or by the same person at two different times and enameled somewhat differently.

One other key difference: the pieces are marked differently. According to that invaluable resource book, American Costume Jewelry by Brunialti and Brunialti, the real hopper is marked "MB" (presumably with the phrygian bonnet mark above the MB) and "Des. Pat'd." The middle piece, per its owner, Cricket Lapins, is marked "(c) BOUCHER." (Click here to see a closeup of the mark.) This is an incorrect mark, for two reasons: Boucher used the "MB" mark with the phrygian bonnet (a symbol of the French Revolution) until the late 1940s; the genuine Boucher grasshopper was produced in the early 1940s (its design patent is dated 1941). Second, the copyright "(c)" mark was not used on costume jewelry until the mid-1950s, when Trifari won a lawsuit permitting it (and other CJ manufacturers) to copyright costume jewelry designs. I don't know for sure how the third hopper is marked, but I suspect it's marked similarly to the first fake bug.

As always, if you'd like to comment on this piece, or if you have found another interesting "fake" grasshopper, please email me at dkos@radix.net.

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