How did America’s elite reveal themselves to be scofflaws in Prohibition politics, yet remain the very picture of elegance? With the famed jeweler Raymond Yard’s Rabbit Waiter brooch, of course. Created at the height of Yard’s career, the whimsical jewel offered a subtle but unmistakable jab at the restrictive laws of the era, an embodiment of the Jazz Age’s rebellious spirit that resonated perfectly with Yard’s high-society clientele.
| Raymond Yard Art Deco Rabbit Waiter Brooch. Circa 1930. Sold at M.S. Rau. |
Raymond C. Yard: Master Jeweler (1885-1964)
Before the Rabbit Waiter, there was a doorboy with an American dream. In 1898, thirteen-year-old Raymond Yard began his career as a doorboy at Marcus & Co. in New York, one of the most respected jewelry houses in the United States. At the turn of the century, a new class of affluent Americans was emerging, eager to patronize homegrown luxury brands with their fresh fortunes.
| Manhattan’s Fifth Ave. Circa 1898. Source. |
Curious and ambitious, Yard absorbed everything he could from his colleagues, mastering both the technical art of jewelry making and the finesse of salesmanship. His talent and dedication propelled him steadily upward, and by the age of thirty, he was among Marcus & Co.’s most trusted and accomplished salesmen. In 1922, John D. Rockefeller Jr., one of Yard’s loyal clients, urged him to establish his own firm, offering personal endorsements to his circle of influential friends and family.
| Raymond Yard Untreated Paraiba Ring, 4.60 Carats. M.S. Rau. |
From his new Fifth Avenue salon, Yard quickly gained a reputation for creating some of the finest jewels in the country. His masterpieces adorned the Woolworths, du Ponts and Vanderbilts, as well as Hollywood luminaries like Joan Crawford. Yard’s signature style favored elegance, refining the Art Deco aesthetic into something distinctly American. A meticulous craftsman, he insisted on only the highest-quality gemstones and platinum settings.
The Bunny Brooch Collection Origins
Five years after founding his firm, in the heart of Prohibition, Yard introduced his first dapper rabbit, complete with a top hat and cane. Shortly after, Yard unveiled his whimsical waiter rabbit design, serving an illicit cocktail, which drew knowing smiles from his sophisticated clientele, who delighted in its playful rebellion.
| Raymond Yard Argyle Violet Diamond Rabbit Waiter Brooch. Sold at M.S. Rau. |
Between 1929 and 1931, Yard created a small series of Rabbit Waiter brooches, each one entirely unique. Dressed in elegant formalwear, these debonair figures carried trays laden with drinks, ice buckets and bottles of champagne. Adorned with pavé diamonds, calibré-cut gemstones, enamel accents and finely articulated details, each treasure exemplified the firm’s impeccable craftsmanship. Not unlike cocktail rings of the same era, these fanciful creations perfectly embodied the exuberant rebellion of the Jazz Age.
Prohibition and High Society Rebellion
To best understand this cheeky design, one must look to the Roaring Twenties and its nationwide ban on alcohol. In January of 1920, the United States officially went dry, with the manufacture and sale of any drink containing more than 1% alcohol prohibited. The result was paradoxical: bootlegging and indulgence flourished, creating an era associated with Al Capone and home-made brews.
| Labor unions hold an anti-prohibition meeting in Chicago. Circa 1920s. Source. |
Though aimed at reducing violence and championing American values, the law was widely unpopular, and enforcement was haphazard at best. Only 1,500 federal agents, roughly 30 per state, were charged with policing an entire nation. Illegal bars thrived, with New York City alone reportedly home to 100,000 clandestine speakeasies.
Prohibition agent Izzy Einstein became legendary and feared for his ability to locate bootleggers within minutes of arriving in a city, though in New Orleans, he reportedly found alcohol in just 35 seconds, thanks to a cab driver who thought he was being helpful until he was promptly arrested.
| New Orleans’ St. Charles Street. Circa 1920. Source. |
It is well known that the wealthy experienced Prohibition differently from working-class individuals. Affluent Americans stocked private liquor supplies before the law took effect, accessed medicinal loopholes and frequented exclusive clubs serving high-quality spirits. By contrast, the working classes were limited to expensive black-market alcohol or riskier, lower-quality establishments. Corruption further skewed enforcement: organized crime and bribed officials allowed the rich to flout the law with relative impunity.
| L'Hortensia by Jean-Pierre Cassigneul. Oil on canvas. M.S. Rau. |
The contradictions of the Prohibition era, its mix of restraint and rebellion, were echoed in the design sensibilities of the Roaring Twenties. It was a decade defined by excess disguised as elegance, where the thrill of breaking rules met the pursuit of beauty and innovation. This cultural tension helped shape the bold new aesthetic of Art Deco.
Art Deco Design Context
The Raymond Yard Bunny brooch may be witty in spirit, but it was also a technical and artistic triumph of Art Deco design. The style celebrated precision and poise, favoring crisp lines and balanced forms that reflected the Machine Age’s fascination with progress.
| Raymond Yard Rabbit Waiter Brooch. Sold at M.S. Rau. |
To the fine jewelers of the era, platinum became the preferred metal, prized for its strength and ability to hold intricate pavé settings that allowed diamonds and colored gemstones to shimmer with architectural clarity. Designers like Yard began experimenting with calibré-cut stones, tiny gems shaped precisely to fit sleek geometric motifs, arranged in elaborate patterns that danced with light.
Art Deco design absorbed inspiration from across the globe. The 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb sparked a wave of Egyptomania, inspiring jewelry with lotus motifs, scarabs and materials like onyx and turquoise.
| Enamel and Diamond Scarab Ring Watch. Circa 1950. M.S. Rau. |
At the same time, Asian art and lacquerware influenced Western designers with their refined color palettes, stylized florals and subtle asymmetry. Yard, ever attuned to elite taste, skillfully balanced these global references with distinctly American exuberance.
| Art Deco Diamond and Sapphire Japanese Maple Tree Brooch. Circa 1925. M.S. Rau. |
Technical Innovation
The Rabbit Brooch is a feat of engineering. Each was constructed with the precision of a miniature machine, bringing animation to luxury. Tiny articulated elements, such as the rabbit’s ice bucket or champagne bottle, were designed to move fluidly, evoking the charm of a waiter mid-service. These ingenious mechanisms demanded exceptional skill, as even the smallest hinge or pin had to be perfectly balanced within the delicate framework of gold and platinum.
| Raymond Yard Rabbit Waiter Brooch. Sold at M.S. Rau. |
Yard’s brilliance lay in his ability to merge technical ingenuity with aesthetic grace. Achieving such subtlety required not only mastery of metallurgy but also an artist’s sensitivity to proportion and movement. Calibré-cut sapphires, rubies and emeralds were placed with painterly precision to draw the eye to focal points like the gleam of a bottle, the crisp line of a tuxedo, the sparkle of a cocktail glass. Enamel accents added warmth and contrast, deepening the composition’s visual rhythm.
Market Legacy
From their debut, Raymond Yard’s Rabbit Waiter brooches captured the imagination of America’s elite. Yard’s line included various anthropomorphic rabbits from caddies to brides, but none charmed collectors like the waiter.
| Raymond Yard Rabbit Golf Caddy Brooch. M.S. Rau. |
Nearly a century later, the allure of Yard’s Rabbit Waiter endures. These brooches are prized for their rarity, exquisite craftsmanship and cultural significance. Period examples that appear at auction consistently achieve exceptional results, surpassing $200,000. The Metropolitan Museum of Art includes a Rabbit Waiter in its esteemed collection, affirming its place in design history.
| Raymond Yard Art Deco Rabbit Waiter Brooch. Circa 1930. Sold at M.S. Rau. |
Today, these whimsical brooches remain celebrated as icons of the era. So if you’re inspired for your next cocktail party look, explore M.S. Rau’s collection of Raymond Yard designs, Art Deco jewelry and animal brooches, and keep an eye out for the ever iconic Rabbit Waiter. Cheers!
Works Cited:
Blocker, Jack S., Jr. 2006. “Did Prohibition Really Work? Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation.” American Journal of Public Health 96 (2): 233–243.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 2016. "Isador 'Izzy' Einstein: Prohibition Agent No. 1." Last modified September 22, 2016.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brooch. ca. 1930, by Raymond C. Yard (1885-1964). Silver, gold, diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020. The Met Collection, Object 2021.14.43a, b. Accessed October 28, 2025.
