Mariposa Brand Valencias Crate Label

This beautiful fruit crate label, featuring one of my favorite flowers—the pansy, is a somewhat difficult crate label to find, although I see it pop up from time to time on various Web sites and on eBay. It was created by an unknown or anonymous artist for Mupu Citrus Association of Santa Paula, Ventura County, California, circa 1930-1940. The label is a color offset lithograph sized approximately 10 x 11 inches. The spray of flowers in pink, white and yellow are striking against the very dark background, framed in dark blue.

Barbara Franchi, an Antiques Roadshow appraiser had this to say about vintage fruit crate labels: "Each label is a small work of folk-art. It's one of the few things you can still get without having to spend more than your lunch money." As to value, she added, "The rare ones are always going to be worth more, but you don't have to buy the high-end ones to enjoy them."

Click here to see the Mariposa label at Oobydooby.com.

Click here to read the complete Antiques Roadshow article "Cornucopia of Crate Labels."