Perli, Schwäbisch Gmünd

Founded in 1922/23 by Martha May (b.1899). In 1916/17 she attended Fachschule in Gmünd. She taught at Burg Giebichenstein in Halle in 1935/36. In 1936 she returned to Schwäbisch Gmünd. Georg Wilhelm May was both managing director and travelling sales representive of Perli. J.W. Fehrle of Schwäbisch Gmünd did some of the designing. From 1933-1940the goldsmith Richard Stotz (b.1909) worked fort he firm. Later it is manage by Guido and peter May. At first the main focus was on the making of glass bead jewellery, designed and executed by Martha May herself. She bought the beads in Gablonz/Czechoslovakia. In 1937 the Perli workshop was awarded a silver medal at the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts et Technique dans la Vie Moderne. In 1937 the range was enlarged to include felt flowers, a comprehensive collection of silver as well as wood, glass and porcelain jewellery, From 1934/35 enamel jewellery.