lily beauty soap, green package

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

"lily" beauty soap, green package

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.212

Description

A small rectangular bar of toilet/beauty soap in its original printed paper wrapper, unopened. The front is green, lettered "BEAUTY SOAP" and the brand "lily" (with a small stylized flower over the "i"), and "SCHÖNHEITS SEIFE" beneath; to the right is an illustration of an oval locket/pendant on a chain containing a portrait of a fair-haired woman. The reverse is plain green-and-cream, 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 household

Context

Sold in the state free market.

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Notes

Soap was found in a box stores in a closet in the Arús Caraballo family home

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Konsum Seifenwerk Riesa

Place

City

Riesa

* Untyped Place

G.D.R.

Region

Central Europe

Continent

Europe

Edition

lily

Notes

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 Mark

Location

wrapping

Transcription

lily SCHÖNHEIST SEIFE

Language

German

Translation

lily BEAUTY SOAP

Type

Inscription

Location

wrapping (bottom)

Transcription

Made in German Democratic Republic Produit de la République Démocratique Allemande 80% 100 g

Language

English

Dimensions

Height

3 cm

Width

8 cm

Length

5 cm

Parts

1

Materials

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.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Place

City

Riesa

* Untyped Place

G.D.R.

Region

Central Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

production

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

April 19, 2022

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 9, 2026