ART STYLE: Machine Art Button

ART STYLE: Machine Art (New Realism) (1917-1935)

Machine Art was a form of curvilinear Cubism, dependent on the dynamic shapes of machinery and their geometric bases: cones, cylinders,cogged wheels, pistons, and brilliant metallic surfaces. It celebrated industry and mechanization with motifs inspired by machine parts, gears, chains, tooling, valves, nuts and bolts. The major proponent was Fernand Leger.
The large, chunky jewelry so popular in the early 1930's reflected a widespread obsession with machinery: exposed screw-heads, chrome ball-bearings, jagged-toothed cogs, and so on, were used to trim jewelry. BUTTONS of the era also showed the same pre-occupation with metal-trim, machinery, and heavy, solid shapes. Wood, bakelite, and celluloid, sometimes trimmed with chrome, were the usual materials for these Machine-Art inspired buttons.
This black glass with silver luster button is pictured along with the above article in the book "About Buttons" by Peggy Ann Osborne
Button (which is brighter than picture shows)available under the black glass category@Pegs Buttons