Name/Title
"Jubileu" toilet soapEntry/Object ID
2025.1.213Description
A small rectangular bar of toilet soap in its original printed paper wrapper, unopened. The front is white above and blue below, divided by a thin white-and-blue band; the brand "Jubileu" is set in black over a pale yellow laurel-wreath device, with "săpun fin de toaletă" (fine toilet soap) in blue on the lower field. The reverse is white-over-blue and carries the country of origin, the Romanian standard mark, the maker's diamond logo, net weight, and price. The wrapper is soiled, stained, and worn.Use
Kept and forgotten in a box in the Arús Caraballo householdContext
Toilette soap sold in the parallel market. Soap was found along with other "luxury" soaps in a box in a closet, years after the Special Period. Apparently owner saved them for a special occasion and forgot about them.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collectionAcquisition
Accession
2025.1Notes
Soap was found in a box stores in a closet in the Arús Caraballo family home.Made/Created
Manufacturer
StelaPlace
Country
RomaniaRegion
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeEdition
JubileuNotes
Date: Circa 1978–1989 (tentative). The wrapper bears "STAS 192-78" — the 1978 edition of the Romanian state standard — giving an earliest-possible date of 1978; combined with the socialist-era pricing in lei this points to a late-1970s/1980s issue.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
soap wrapping (front)Transcription
JubileuLanguage
RomanianTranslation
JubileeType
InscriptionLocation
aper wrapping (back)Transcription
Made in Romania
stas 192 - 78 Stela 150g. lei 5,50Transcription
Jubileu
sapun fin de toaletaLanguage
RomanianTranslation
fine toilet soapDimensions
Height
3.5 cmWidth
9 cmDepth
5 cmMaterials
Material Notes
Materials: Soap (saponified fats/oils); 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 AmericaNotes
acquisitionResearch Notes
Notes
The "STAS 192-78" standard mark dates the wrapper to 1978 or later — a firmer anchor than the "Palmier" bar (which carried no standard date). The lei price (5,50) reflects the Romanian socialist retail system. This brackets the soap to roughly 1978–1989, within range. Note that this gives the "Palmier" bar, by maker and format, a likely similar late-period date, though "Palmier" itself lacked the dated standard.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
April 19, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 18, 2026
