All things buttons & more …
Here is a group of Satsuma porcelain buttons all with a floral theme. There is a variety of colours; they vary in sizes too. I am a lover of Satsuma buttons and have quite a nice collection of them. The ones with people on them are not so easy to find but I have a few.
I have had this button for a long while and it is a favourite of mine. It has a delicate painting of a couple and you can even see the buttons on the man’s coat. It also has a decorative border of brass and enamel which makes for a lovely button.
This is a common type of enamel button with a floral design in pink and blue on a white background. It has a scalloped edge in gold and a brass loop shank. At 2 cm it is not very big.
Here is a lovely group of Lithograph portrait buttons in various sizes. The largest one measures 3 1/2 cm while the tiny ones are under 1 1/2 cm. The one with the open work metal border has a lady; the others show a man. The colours are very delicate and pleasing.
Here are two more buttons from Sth. Africa. They are both striking and I love them. Being very chunky they would only be suitable for a very heavy overcoat but perhaps not so functional. They are Ceramic and are finished with a high gloss glaze.
This is an interesting Ceramic button made by village ladies in Sth. Africa. It is rather naively painted and has a special charm. The colours are nice too. It is square and measures 4 cm so is quite large. I think more of a collectable rather than a functional button.
Here is an enamel button with a Cut Steel border. It has a black background with a delicate floral design in pink and blue which stands out nicely. It measures 3 cm so is a good size.
This button features the head of Medusa which is the symbol for the Versace fashion brand. It has a key patterned border and is a reasonable size at just under 3 cm. Giovanni Versace was an Italian Fashion Designer in the 1900s. Medusa who had hair of snakes comes from ancient Greek mythology.
This is a two piece metal button. The brass decoration is of swirly lines with leaves and is very effective. It is open work and shows the background colour through. It measures 3 cm.
These buttons have been bought new in haberdashery stores during the period 2005 – 2020. They are mainly in the beige and brown tones and are of some type of plastic. Some are sew through while others have shanks. They are very collectable and represent the fashions of this period.