President Roosevelt’s magnificent personally-owned decorative presentation box given to him as a gift from Brazil in 1945, measuring 10.5 x 8.25 x 2.75, featuring amazing mixed-media artwork beneath the glass cover depicting an oceanfront Brazilian city, accomplished using paint and actual butterfly wings, a very hands-on art format. The box itself also has an intricate inlaid design on the cover’s borders and the bottom edge. The top cover is lined with padded yellow cloth bearing a Brazilian flag, with similar padding lining the bottom. A loose yellow pad provides extra protection and bears a large green "V" for 'victory.' Housed inside is a spectacular piece of original artwork depicting a butterfly, made entirely by hand out of postage stamps to acknowledge the president’s hobby; this is presented in an ornate frame, portions of which have been repaired to secure the embellishments in the corners. Includes a detailed letter of provenance on White House letterhead from Lillian Rogers Parks, who was a housekeeper and seamstress at the White House for over 30 years, from President Hoover through President Eisenhower. In part: “The lovely wooden presentation box of President Franklin D. Roosevelt…is hand painted and part of the decoration is done with butterfly wings. It is a gift to the President from Brazil in early 1945. Inside the box is a separate framed butterfly made exclusively from stamps (this is symbolic in that President Roosevelt was a stamp collector)…The stamp design is in the form of a butterfly with the Statue of Liberty in the center on top of the frame…This is a personal item that belonged to the President. It was in his office at the White House for a short time. It should be preserved for future generations." A visually imposing, first-class FDR relic.
