Category: VEGETABLE IVORY

This group of buttons are made of Vegetable Ivory from the Tagua Nut of a Palm Tree which grows in the tropical forests of part of South America. It is called Vegetable Ivory as the natural colour of the inside of the nut resembles Ivory. They have been dyed with red which takes to the inner section of the nut. A simple design has been carved in each of them.

This Vegetable Ivory button has a silhouette painted in black on it.  I cannot tell what the picture is meant to be but I like the button anyway.

These vegetable ivory buttons have been dyed a dark colour.  The two which have a circle carved into them show the natural colour of the corozo nut from which they are made.

One has a flag embossed on it with the dye colour rubbed back.

This little group of vegetable ivory buttons are quite plain and all small at 1 cm, the larger one nearly 1  1/2cm.

They clean up nicely.  As mentioned before they are made from the corozzo nut from a palm tree in South America.

Here are five vegetable ivory buttons, one being 2 cm, the others all  1cm.

The large one has a cut away geometric design.  Three have a pattern pressed into them and the other one has been carved.  They are really quite nice buttons but do not show up so well in the photo.

All of these Vegetable Ivory buttons have been dyed red which shows in the areas carved into the “flesh”of the nut.  Some black dye has also been used and gives a great geometric look.  The larger ones are 2  1/2cm and the small ones 1  1/2c.

They are all sew through buttons.

We have here six different vegetable ivory buttons, some being carved and dyed.  They all have a self shank.

To me they are a very versatile button.  Many have been made over the years.

I have also pictured some Tagua Nuts from which this “Vegetable Ivory” is made.  I have mentioned this previously.

Here we have two buttons of the same design but one being 2  1/2cm and the other 1  1/2cm.

They are made from Vegetable Ivory and have a metal escutcheon of strawberries on them and have a metal loop shank.

The colour of the inside of the Tagua nut from which these buttons have been made can easily be seen as these two buttons have been dyed and then carved.  The dye does not go right through.  They polish up so nicely to a lovely finish.

The three hand painted faces on vegetable ivory buttons come from South America (possibly Equador)  and I find them interesting.

I believe that the two with black silhouette figures painted on them are old.  They are also quite different.