Vintage Stratton Empress Powder Compact, Butterfly Design, Holmes Gray Signature, Scalloped Gold-Tone Case

Three winged visitors linger above pale foliage, a miniature natural-history scene carried in gold-coloured curves.

This vintage Stratton Empress powder compact features butterflies against a light ground, with soft turquoise-green foliage lending the scene an airy quality. Detailed wing markings bring contrast to the illustration, framed by the scalloped outline of the gold-tone case. The lid design bears the printed signature “Holmes Gray”; this is a signed design, not a claim that the individual compact was hand-painted.

The lid opens to a mirror above the powder compartment, while the reverse carries a fine linear pattern and Stratton branding. Its decorative appeal belongs as much to the collector’s cabinet as to the dressing table.

The Particulars

• Maker: Stratton
• Model: Empress, as identified in the item notes
• Type: Powder compact with mirror
• Design: Butterfly illustration with pale turquoise-green foliage
• Design signature: Holmes Gray, visible on the lid
• Case: Scalloped gold-tone metal; exact composition unconfirmed
• Condition: Used vintage piece, showing signs of age and use
• Included: Compact only, with no puff, sifter, slip, or box supplied

The photographs show surface marks and wear to the gold-tone finish, including the reverse, rim, and clasp area. Discoloured patches are visible within the powder compartment. Please study the close-ups as part of the condition description. It is not offered as pristine or unused, and no precise manufacture date is claimed.

A small winged vanity relic, gathered for a keeper with an eye for nature’s quieter ornament. Carefully nestled in its treasure coffin, a vault relic from Vaen’kai Vault.