Perspex was developed during the 1930s, and as a shatterproof alternative to glass it was used for aircraft cockpit covers and windows during the Second World War. The sculptor Arthur Fleischmann (1896 - 1990) was one of the first artists to explore its sculptural potential, completing his first piece in 1949, and contributing carved perspex to the Festival of Britain in 1951.

Fleischmann was born in Bratislava and qualified in medecine before winning a scholarship to study sculpture in Vienna in 1921 where his career as a sculptor flourished. From 1937 to 1939 he lived in Bali, continuing to sculpt but also recording through photographs life on the island at this date. He moved to Australia where his many commissions included the bronze doors for the Mitchell Library, Sydney. In 1948 he chose to return to Europe and settled in London. During his career he worked in many materials including glazed ceramic, terracotta, wax, bronze and wood but from the end of the 1940s he also worked in perspex. This very small carving of a crab, mounted in a silver ring, represents the zodiac sign Cancer and was was made by Fleischmann as a gift for his wife.