The 'Plique-a-jour’ pendant lampshade with butterfly design was made from a copper gold-panning dish by Dorothy Leviny, one of Ernest Leviny's daughters, whose forte lay in metal and enamelwork.

Buda Historic Home & Garden in Castlemaine was home to the Leviny family from 1863 to 1981. Ernest Leviny was a noted colonial silversmith who arrived in Australia during the goldrush. Of his six daughters, five were unmarried and lived in the house for most of their lives, pursuing their interests in art and craft creating items of embroidery, metalwork and woodwork, among other things, to adorn their home.

The Leviny women were strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement in the early twentieth century and three of the sisters entered work in the landmark First Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work 1907 held at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Many of their handmade items are on display at Buda.