Bar of Nácar bath soap (green)

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Bar of "Nácar" bath soap (green)

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.165

Description

A rectangular bar of bath soap, pale green, embossed "NACAR" in block capitals across one face. Heavily aged: surface mottled with whitish bloom/efflorescence and brown discoloration, with cracking/erosion along the edges and a chipped notch at the top.

Use

Kept in a box, in the Arús Caraballo household, stored in a barbacoa for decades with other soaps.

Context

Nácar soaps were sold through the ration card.

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Notes

The two soaps were found in a box in a closet in the donor's house in the 2000s.

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Suchel

Place

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Edition

Nacar

Notes

Maker: Suchel Fragancia, the Cuban state enterprise responsible for soap and perfumery production (within the Grupo Empresarial de la Industria Ligera). "Nácar" was one of its long-standing ration-market toilet soaps. Date: circa 1960s–1980s (tentative). Nácar was produced for decades as a staple rationed soap (discontinued circa 2011); no date or batch mark on the bars, so the specific year is undetermined, but the collection context places these examples in the socialist period. In range.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Makers Mark

Location

soap surfaces

Transcription

NACAR

Language

Spanish

Translation

mother of pearl

Dimensions

Height

5 cm

Width

8 cm

Depth

2 cm

Materials

Material Notes

Materials: Toilet/bath soap (saponified fats/oils), pigmented. Technique: Molded/stamped soap bar with embossed brand name.

Condition

Overall Condition

Poor

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

MINIL

Person or Organization

Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Research Notes

Notes

"Nácar" was the everyday Cuban bath soap of the rationed (libreta) market for decades, produced by the state enterprise Suchel Fragancia (soap/perfumery, under the Grupo Empresarial de la Industria Ligera). Nácar and Batey were discontinued around 2011 and replaced by "Lis." Nácar (with Jovel/Batey) was the basic ration-book soap, contrasted with higher-quality imported "de olor" soaps sold in the parallel market (e.g., Romanian Palmier, 1980s) — documented in the Cuba Material project.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

March 31, 2022

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 9, 2026