Saturday, July 31, 2010

Aluminum Stencil buttons Salemans sample card



The six buttons on the lower left are not aluminum stencils.
Thank you to BJ Smyers for sharing this vintage card

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Aluminum Stencil buttons


Aluminum stencil buttons were made in the 1930's..in many colors and several patterns. The picture shows the patterns you mostly find as the other patterns are scarce.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hawaii -inspired -buttons


Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. All things Hawaiian were a great interest and popularity on the mainland, and buttons such as these became available.
Part of the Hawaii craze, 'Gooney birds' became part of the vernacular.
The enameled brass orchid is lovely.

Monday, July 5, 2010

KOKESHI (wooden doll-like) BUTTONS


Button collectors often find small, painted wooden doll-like buttons, but few realize what they are..tiny KOKESHI. Very popular in Japan as household ornaments, Kokeshi there are avidly collected. Always of wood in a stylized, cylindrical body form, Kokeshi have a distinct head, but no limbs (the arms, hands, and legs are not carved, but inferred) and the hair and features are painted without detail to "preserve and further exaggerate the basic simplicity of the piece". NON-button Kokeshi range in size from 1 inch to 24 inches.
If you are lucky enough to find a Kokeshi button, look at it very carefully--a very few lucky collectors have discovered that the head of their little button-doll unscrewed, and within the hollow body were tiny ivory dice.
Info. from "About Buttons Book" by Peggy Ann Obsorne