Month: November 2019

• 

• 

These two metal picture buttons are a bronze colour and feature an Egyptian head on the right side with a floral pattern making up the rest of the space. They have a japanned back with a metal loop shank and measure 3 1/4 cm.

• 

• 

Although a lot of paint has worn off, this button still has a certain charm. It is of pressed brass in an ornate design with black, teal and pink painted features. It certainly would have been striking in it’s original condition. It has a tin back and metal loop shank and measures 3 cm.

This is a very unusual black glass button. The band of silver lustre across the middle features a mass of “creepy crawlies” etc. e.g. scorpions, lizards, turtles and the likes. At first look you do not notice them. It measures 2 1/2 cm and is a sew through type.

• 

• 

• 

I have quite a few of these type of perspex buttons but these three are new to my collection. They were made in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. Perspex was plentiful then from aeroplane windscreens just after the war. Many have metal centrepieces of various types similar to these.

• 

• 

• 

Here are two buttons combining wound cord inserted in a plastic base. Maybe they were worn on what we used to call a shorty coat! They are just two different colours in the same design.

Here is just a group of various vegetable ivory buttons of which I have quite a few. These are common everyday type and are made from the Tagua nut of a palm tree that grows in tropical forests of Colombia, Equador and Peru. The inside of the nut is similar colour to that of ivory hence the name. It can be dyed and carved.

• 

• 

Here we have two modern enamelled white metal buttons. They both have a flower pattern, one with a brilliant blue background and the other red. I think they may have been made in Japan or China. They are new additions to my collection.

• 

• 

• 

These three plastic buttons are very chunky and not what you would call pretty. They just took my fancy because of the colours and also they are very different. I think they would be coat buttons.

• 

• 

This celluloid tight top button is rather pretty. The centrepiece is cream with a tiny pink flower painted on it. The outer border which offsets the centre nicely is khaki with lines of black and cream breaking it up. It has a japanned tin back which is common for celluloid buttons. It measures 2 3/4 cm.

• 

• 

• 

Here is a domed metal button with quite an intricate pierced design. It doesn’t show off to advantage in the photos. It measures just under 2 cm.