All things buttons & more …
I really like this ivory button and it is the most expensive one in my collection. It has a Geisha girl with a sunshade etched into it. There are just a few delicate touches of colour highlighting it. It measures a little under 3 1/2 cm.
This button is typical of the Gay Nineties ie: the 1890s. It is a brass button with an interesting border with a pretty purple glass stone in the centre surrounded by another border with delicate embossing on it. I hadn’t noticed until looking close at the photo that there has been purple paint applied to the inner border which has all but worn away. Overall it is a nice button and measures nearly 4 cm.
My friend Olwyn bought these buttons at The Fine Arts Museum shop in Santiago, Chile in November, 2015. They feature Native Symbols. They seem to be a light canvas covering a metal button mould. The symbol is printed on in solid black. They measure a little over 3 cm.
This glass button was made in Czechoslovakia and is possibly a reproduction of an old design. It is a lovely lime green/yellow iridescent colour and is quite pretty with a picture of a tulip on it. It has a silvered back and metal loop shank and measures a little over 3 cm.
I bought these shell buttons on a garment at the local opp shop several years ago. They are etched with a simple geometric design on the outside of the shell. They are quite crudely done and have a rustic look about them while being rather unique.
This is quite a domed Mother of Pearl button which has been etched with a bird and some flowers. It has an unusual shank on the back for attaching it. I have had it for about 20 years and it was given to me by a resident of the village where I live. I think it is fairly old but don’t know how old.
Apart from a tiny little one this is the only mosaic button that I have in my collection. It is amazing how they put the tiny pieces of glass together to make a pattern. It is set into silver with a ropelike edging. The colours are nice and bright. I think it was probably made in Italy.
Here are two Metal Picture buttons; one is called Waving Goodbye and shows a lady waving a handkerchief. The other is Fanny Davenport on a balcony with an unbrella. They both have a japanned back and a metal loop shank. It is amazing the amount of work that was put into making buttons in the early 1900s.
I bought this card of Susan Clarke Originals in a Patchwork Shop in Loch, Victoria quite a few years ago. She is from California, USA. They have a white enamel background with a tiny pink rose on a heart shape. It is nice to have them on their original card too.
Here are two Victorian Celluloid buttons both with the same border but different decoration in the centre. The shades of brown are common for that period. As usual they have a japanned back with a metal look shank.