badge thing?

[gtoast99]

Hey everybody! I was wondering if I could get a hand with an ID on this very unusual piece.

It's in 3 pieces. First is the main badge piece. It appears to be some sort of tin. The motif on the front suggests masculine to me, with what looks to me like a handlebar mustache at the top! It measures 2 inches tall, and just under 2 inches wide.

Second is the clip on the back, found in place but broken off. The clip has two pegs which would fit into two holes on the main badge such that the clip could swing out. It also has two "teeth", presumably to hold the badge onto whatever material it was inserted into.

The third piece, not shown, is a small, smooth button of the same material. It appears that it would have fit inside the center of the main badge to cover up the hole where the clip attaches.

Any thoughts?

 

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[creskol]

I am wondering if it might have been a brooch, hair clip, or something along those lines , similar to this one?
I doctored yours for comparison.

 

[Lucas]

That's just a dent in the middle.

 

[creskol]

That's just a dent in the middle.

Looks like the dent has a pretty well defined rim around it.

 

[gtoast99]

Creskol is right about it having a defined rim around the central dent for holding something in. But I'm pretty sure I recovered the "something" in the same hole. I mentioned it in the first post, but I guess pictures are worth a thousand words, so here's an image of the metal button that I believe would have been held in the center to cover the clip hole.

 

[IronSpike]

Welcome to Tnet gtoast99

I think creskol got it and that it's called a 'dress clip'.

The clip portion on this 1940'/50's very similar to yours:

http://www.echoesofthepastonline.com/EchoJwl2b.htm

 

[gtoast99]

Cool, thanks! I do admit the clip looks similar, but I still have a hard time believeing that something like this would have been worn as women's jewelry, just based on the look of it. I appreciate the help!

 

[Breezie]

These decorative Victorian 'clips' were also worn on ladies shoes, as well as used to hold neck scarves. Nice find, Breezie