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Here are a few old black plastic buttons and a buckle of the same period. The buckle has a nice floral pattern pressed into it and would enhance a belted dress nicely. They are from about the 1940s.

Here are three red plastic modern buttons which may be acrylic. They are realistic in the form of a flower; is it meant to be a rose? They would need to go on a plain fabric I think as they would be a bit over the top on a patterned one.

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.