Month: May 2024

This metal button has been dyed purple and has a rather large decorative white metal escutcheon under which a pinkish mirror back is placed. It looks sort of regal. It has a japanned back and metal loop shank and measures 3 1/2 cm.

These two fabric buttons are of similar style and made up the same way with a metal back and pad shank. The blue one has a metal disc with an embossed floral design in the centre. The red one has white lace covering the centre. They would both be made with the same fabric as the garment they were to be worn on. I guess they may be from the 1940s, perhaps a long sleeve winter dress.

Here are two red and white plastic buttons from maybe the 1930s. I think they could be Casien. Like black and white buttons these too stand out. The one on the left measures 2 1/2 cm and is a two hole sew through while the right one measures just over 2 cm and has four holes.

These two plastic buttons are by Artid an English firm I think in the 1940s. They are not favourites of mine so I only have these two. One depicts a Galleon ship while the other shows a Siamese dancer. They were mainly in two colours only.

This Satsuma porcelain button is quite different to any other I have. It does not have much detail but I loved the colours against the gold background. I love purple, green and orange. The gold lines don’t show up very well in the photo. It measures 2 1/2 cm.

Here are three groups of plastic buttons from say the 1940s or are they 1950s. They are all very common designs from that time and were made in a varied range of colours. The colours are not as gaudy as those of today. Were they made by Beutron? I wish I knew the answers to all these questions.

Here are some fun Ceramic buttons made in South Africa by local village ladies. It is a great occupation for them and brings in much needed money. There is a set of six chooks and they are really cute and well made. The corrugated cardboard is the usual backing on which they market their buttons. I have quite a few sets of their buttons as I find them interesting and it is a great organization.

I rather like these three chunky plastic buttons as they are very smooth and tactile. Each has been carved, one having colour added. I believe that they could be Bakelite but am only guessing. They each have a metal loop shank.

These porcelain buttons were handmade by Tracey Sharkey in 2007. They are of a floral theme and I like the way they only have portion of a leaf or flower on each button. There is a set of six. They are a gentle colour and would look nice on a plain white or green fabric. They measure just over 2 cm.

Here is a trio of black and white modern plastic buttons which I bought new several years ago. As ever black and white are always striking. They remind me of the black and white craze in buttons of the 1930s or thereabout. Fashion goes in cycles so this is just an example of that. The two on the right are the same design but look quite different because of the reverse colour scheme. They measure 2 1/2 cm.