Name/Title
"lily" beauty soap, white packageEntry/Object ID
2025.1.260Description
A small rectangular bar of toilet/beauty soap in its original printed paper wrapper, unopened. The front is white, lettered "BEAUTY SOAP" and the brand "lily" (with a small stylized flower over the "i"), and "SCHÖNHEITS SEIFE" beneath; to the left is a portrait of a fair-haired woman. The reverse is printed with the maker's stylized cat's-head emblem, the country of origin in English and French, and a fat-content/weight line. The wrapper is worn and toned; the soap is a solid mass within.Use
Kept and forgotten in a box in the Arús Caraballo householdContext
Sold in the state free market.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collectionAcquisition
Accession
2025.1Notes
Soap was found in a box stores in a closet in the Arús Caraballo family homeMade/Created
Manufacturer
Konsum Seifenwerk RiesaPlace
City
Riesa* Untyped Place
G.D.R.Region
Central EuropeContinent
EuropeEdition
lilyNotes
Date: Likely circa 1968–1990 (tentative). No production date is printed; the cat logo (introduced 1968) and the GDR's existence to 1990 bracket the wrapper to that span.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Makers MarkLocation
wrappingTranscription
lily
SCHÖNHEIST
SEIFELanguage
GermanTranslation
lily
BEAUTY
SOAPType
InscriptionLocation
wrapping (bottom)Transcription
Made in German Democratic Republic
Produit de la République Démocratique Allemande
80% 100 gLanguage
EnglishDimensions
Height
3 cmWidth
8 cmLength
5 cmMaterials
Material Notes
Materials: Soap (saponified fats/oils; the "80%" likely denotes fatty-acid/soap content); printed paper wrapper.
Technique: Milled/pressed and stamped soap bar; offset-printed paper wrapper, folded and sealed.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaPlace
City
Riesa* Untyped Place
G.D.R.Region
Central EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
productionCreated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
June 9, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 18, 2026