Snowflake button Bethlehem pearl

A close up of the Bethlehem pearl snowflake button

Snowflake buttons

Snowflake buttons..there are metal, black glass, horn, pearl, enamel and a few plastic. If you scroll down and on the right side you will see ARCHIVES..click on Nov. 2009 and read my article on snowflakes.

Bethlehem pearl with cross button

Bethlehem pearl with cross button

Bethlehem pearl Christmas Tree button

Bethlehem pearls-a souvenir and export item of long standing in the Holy Land-were made as both buttons and brooches. Traditionally round, some were realistically shaped. Most of these buttons were imported by American dealers from the 1940’ to 60’s, but they have again been available in recent years. The earlier examples were usually well-designed and carved; the quality seemed to deteriorate over the years. This button is a heavy large pearl with handsomely carved branches and ornaments

Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey buttons are rare..I showed the bottom 3 last year which are a modern plastic, antique 2 piece brass and a Arita porcelain.
I have only acquired the top 2 since then..metal with plastic dome and a pewter.

Rose button

A few legends of the ROSE

In Greece, rose petals were used to cure the bite of a mad dog.
Romans were sure that a rose petal floated in wine would prevent drunkeness.
The seed or rose hips are said to contain 20 times more Vitamin or Ascorbic Acid--found in oranges.
This antique horn button is available(under the misc. materials category
@ Pegs Buttons

Humpty Dumpty button

Humpty Dumpty was a egg, famous in France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. The term Humpty Dumpty is given in the Oxford English Dictionary as the name for a ale and brandy drink of the late 17th century. Also, it means, a short clumsy person of either sex. Over the years the name Humpty Dumpty has been used for a game played by little girls.
This small plastic button is available(under the plastic category
@ Pegs Buttons

Zachary Taylor button

Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was the 12th President of the U.S. (1849-1850) Known as "Old Rough and Ready," Taylor died just 16 months into his term, the third shortest tenure of any President. Only Presidents William Henry Harrison and James Garfield served less time.

This antique button is brass with a tinned back. The light color is scanner glare.

The Pot of Basil button

Isabella, or the Pot of Basil (1818) is a narrative poem by John Keats, adapted from a story in Boccaccio's Decameron (IV, 5). It tells the tale of a young woman whose family intend to marry her to "some high noble and his olive trees", but who falls for Lorenzo, one of her brothers' employees. When the brothers learn of this they murder Lorenzo and bury his body. His ghost informs Isabella in a dream. She exhumes the body and buries the head in a pot of basil which she tends obsessively, while pining away
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Isabella's brothers slay her lover: he appears to her in a dream, and shows her where he is buried: she privily disinters the head, and sets it in a pot of basil, whereon she daily weeps a great while. The pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies not long after.

you can read the poem (which is lengthy here http://www.bartleby.com/126/38.html

Halloween buttons

I added several Halloween buttons on my ebay today

Pegs ebay

Andrew Jackson and patch button?

The Hermitage is 12 miles from Nashville, Tn. and was Andrew Jacksons home.
I had the pleasure of visiting the Hermitage in the 90's..I walked around the grounds and house in awe knowing I was walking on places he had walked..he and his wife Rachel had a love-match that never dimmed and her sudden death left him mourning his lost for the rest of his life. Rachel had a garden and they are both buried in the corner of this garden.
What does this have to do with the button I am showing?..the button came in a collection I bought from a women that lived a short distance from the Hermitage..it is a brass sporting button, she had it labeled "Andrew Jackson and his horse Patch" so I am wondering if she did indeed know this button or not?
Does anyone else have this button?

The Seven Immortals buttons

The Seven Immortals, or gods of fortune. Arita porcelain from Japan.
These were sold as a boxed set by Toshikane Art Porcelain, Tokyo, during the 60's. Although modern, they are quit fine. Click on picture to enlarge.
This set is available in my ecrater button store under the ceramic category @

Pegsbuttons

Walking a dog buttons

I have researched the design on these buttons without much luck. I have all the button books and only found the first (wood) button in 1. It is found in Button Hand Book Supplement 3 by Nicholls..titled "St Hubert's Hounds"..the next button (same design but reversed) (celluloid one piece 30's) is pictured in book Buttons by Fink and Ditzler but no caption was added and the last, burwood/syrocco button pictured in Fun Buttons by Osborne also no caption.
Thanks to Sue Marsh for picture of 3rd button.

Don't call me Barney Oldfield anymore..button

The brass button shown here has been referred to by button collectors for years as the "Barney Oldfield" button. Alas, it has little or nothing to do with Mr. Oldfield. It is, however, a very accurate depiction of one of the very earliest racing automobiles, the Panhard et Lavassor. René Panhard and Émile Levassor in 1887 joined to produce early automobiles for racing and production. These early races were in France, such as the 1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally, and in the U.K. and also America. Panhard is still in business. They ceased production of passenger automobiles in 1967 but continure today building military vehicles.

Thank you William James Hentges for your research on this button and for permission to post it here.

Panama Canal button

This two-piece stamped brass coat button commemorates the opening of the Panama Canal in 1913.

Today, the canal continues to be not only a viable commercial venture, but also a vital link in world shipping.

WW 2 'Kilroy Was Here' Button

A number of 'Kilroy Was Here' souvenirs appeared at wars end this Japanese-made vegetable ivory button was among them.
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from google
There was one person who led or participated in every combat, training or occupation operation during WWII and the Korean War. This person could always be depended on. GI's began to consider him the "super GI." He was one who always got there first or who was always there when they left. I am, of course, referring to Kilroy Was Here. Somehow, this simple graffiti captured the imagination of GI's everywhere they went. The scribbled cartoon face and words showed up everywhere - worldwide. Stories (some even true) abound.
The Legends of Kilroy can be searched on google!

Button poem My Hobby

A hobby in such troubled days
Can pep you up in many ways.
Your worries seem to fade away,
If at a hobby you can play.

Now antique buttons interest me,
All sizes, shapes and kinds I see.
Flowers and birds and ships and trees,
Cats and dogs and bugs and bees.

The story buttons are quit rare,
Historic scenes they sometimes bear;
Or fairy tales or knights of old,
Or moats and castles edged with gold.

The hand carved pearls and rich inlays
And sparkling jewels laid out on trays,
Or fastened neat to card board white,
Are surely an attractive sight.

I find in grandmothers button box,
The calicos that trimmed her flock,
And dainty glass ones which she said
Came off the dress in which she wed.

In boxes old and attic dark
To look for buttons is a lark.
And what a joy it is to find
A button of some rare old kind.

My family thinks I'm somewhat queer,
I'll snip them off their clothes, they fear;
But then they should be very glad
That safety pins can still be had.

Marie Hicks, Just Buttons, Oct. 1944

Antique Blown Glass Buttons

These buttons were actually blown and were hollow. The early ones had clear glass loop shanks; the later (probably after 1900) had metal shanks on metal plates. Color and sometimes bits of tinsel were blown into some of the hollow buttons. Most common are those that imitate pearl color, but there were a few made in pastel colors as well as in deep red, gray, and black; some have been found with cotton or a waxlike substance inside. Blown glass buttons were usually ball-shaped, but a few have been found faceted or oval. They range in size 3/8 to 3/4.
The above information is from the book Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons by Sally Luscomb.
The piece of delicate material looks to of been cut off a garment to save the buttons..notice the back, the buttons were strung in such a way as to remove them easily before cleaning the garment.
Below this are some of my blown glass..all have the glass shanks.
Click on image to enlarge

Crochet button bracelet..instructions

1.Sixty-six buttons in one color or in harmonizing colors.
2.Gold, silver, or white elastic thread; #7 steel crochet hook.
3.Three rows of buttons, 22 in each row, separated by one row of single crochet.
Chain 44 stitches, join with slip stitch in first stitch of chain.
Chain one single crochet in each chain stitch around; join.
Chain one, join button by inserting hook through shank of button, pull loop through and complete single crochet.
Skip one single crochet, join a button in next single crochet.
Continue around in this way until you have joined 22 buttons; join with a slip stitch in first chain.
Make three rows of buttons with a row of single crochet between them.
Finish off with a row of single crochet to balance the first row made.

The bracelet can also be made by making seven rows of single crochet, and then fastening the buttons on securely with sewing thread.

Laser cut ..Button

This is a modern plastic button. The button design was cut by using a laser light source.

Here are a few tidbits picked up from Google:
--Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A device that produces coherent light with a narrow range of wavelengths.
--optical device that produces an intense monochromatic beam of coherent light
--A powerful beam of light used in some types of surgery.
--Lasers work as a result of resonant effects. The output of a laser is a coherent electromagnetic field. In a coherent beam of electromagnetic energy, all the waves have the same frequency and phase.
--Lasers are one of the most significant inventions developed during the 20th century. They have found a tremendous variety of uses in electronics, computer hardware, medicine, and experimental science.

Laser cutting has been used on several button materials, including polyester, vegetable ivory, pearl, and possibly others.

If interested I have several of these buttons for sale in black or red in my button store (under the plastic category
@ Pegs Buttons

V for Victoria and 'V' for Victory buttons

'V' for Victoria. There were two periods when buttons were rife with 'V' designs: first during Victoria's reign, and later at the end of World War II when the 'V' stood for Victory. The first one shown here dates 19th century, ('V' for Victoria) engraved brass with cut steels..a double 'V'. The others are World War II ('V' for Victory) 2 are plastic and 2 metals..notice the Morse Code.
Click on picture to enlarge

Panic Button

A popular saying in the 1970's, a time of political unrest and disillusionment, was, "don't push the panic -button"

for sale in my button store (under the plastic category
@ Pegs Buttons

Cartoons: buttons

Animated cartoons were an important part of the movie-going experience. Whether as the feature, or as short fillers between motion picture, newsreels and popcorn advertisements, they were wildly popular. The brand-new film animation companies quickly learned-as was the case with radio serials-that characters with ongoing storylines kept the public returning to the theaters for more.
The cartoon industry was the provence of the limited number of companies. Warner Brothers did the Looney Tunes,(see the 10 buttons together above) starring a number of favorite characters , although Bugs Bunny could be called the leader of the pack. Woody Woodpecker had his own following as well. But no other cartoon character has ever had the success of Mickey Mouse, from the Walt Disney Corporation.
from ABOUT BUTTONS BOOK by Peggy Osborne
I have a few cartoon character buttons available in my ecrater button store under the plastic category
@ Pegs Buttons

Fable button The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg

Aesop fable:
A man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich.
"Just think," said the man's wife, "If we could have all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be richer much faster."
"You're right," said her husband, "We wouldn't have to wait for the goose to lay her egg every day."
So, the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only to find that she was just like every other goose. She had no golden eggs inside of her at all, and they had no more golden eggs.
MORAL: TOO MUCH GREED RESULTS IN NOTHING

St. Patrick's Day buttons, fun card

St. Patrick's Day buttons, my fun card with buttons!
Click on image to enlarge.

"Hail Columbia" Button

"Hail, Columbia" was the unofficial national anthem of the United States until its replacement in 1931 by the officially mandated "Star-Spangled Banner". Columbia is a poetic name for the United States in use during the 18th century. The anthem was originally composed by Philip Phile in 1789 for the inauguration of George Washington, titled "The President's March", arranged with lyrics by Joseph Hopkinson in 1798. It was used in the United States as a national anthem for most of the 19th century, but lost popularity after World War 1.
It is now the entrance march, or the official song, for the Vice President of the United States in a similar fashion as "Hail to the Chief" is for the President. When played in honor of the Vice-President, the song is always preceded by four ruffles and flourishes. In addition, the song has been used as a slow march during military ceremonies, often while the band counter-marches. This song is not to be confused with Columbia, the gem of the Ocean.
The button is antique, brass, large size.

Satsuma Buttons (continued

When you mention the word "Satsuma" to a button collector, the word "Japan" also comes to mind. This Japanese faience (glazed pottery),which is noted for its finely crackled underglaze, its cream, yellow-cream, or gray-cream color, and its decoration of raised enamel, is so popular with button and ceramic collectors that the name has become synonymous with Japan.
Much has been written about determining the age of Satsuma buttons by the shank. The oldest buttons have a curved needle shank, next were the slightly raised with the top of the shank unglazed but rounded on the edges. As the years pasted, the shanks got higher and higher and the edges of the shanks became sharper. Many people like to try and determine age by the backmark, but this is not an accurate method as backmarks in Japan, both written and incised, were bought, sold, traded and copied as common practice. In other words, if a buyer found that a line of buttons marked with a certain backmark was popular, he might conceivably go to another maker and order similar buttons at a cheaper price but with the same backmark. Therefore, even though there are valid backmarks, backmarks on these buttons cannot be taken too seriously and for the most part, they cannot be used to determine age or authenticity.

The above 3 buttons are my favorite..ball shaped with birds, the 2 ex large..7 gods, and Satsuma temple.

Satsuma (earthenware pottery) Buttons

Originally made in the province of Satsuma, it was also made (or at least decorated) in Kyoto and Tokyo.
Click on picture to enlarge.

President's Day buttons

George Washington, born Feb. 22, 1732
Abraham Lincoln, born Feb. 12, 1809

Happy Valentines Day buttons

Phaethon mythology button

This is an old identification, although some feel that the title of Apollo would be just as suitable. Phaethon was the son of Apollo by the nymph Clymene. Tormented by the taint of illegitimacy, Phaethon begged his father to let him drive the sun chariot to prove his paternity. However, the youth could not control the plunging horses and lost control of the chariot, letting it come to close to the earth, so that the green fields were scorched and the forests were set ablaze. Zeus was forced to intervene to save earth from destruction. He hurled his thunderbolt at the boy, Phaethon fell to the ground, and the maddened horses plunged into the sea.
SOLD: This handsome brass button is available in my ecrater button store under the METAL category
@ Pegs Buttons

China buttons Bird Cage

What is this shank you call a "bird cage?" you may be asking, "what kind of buttons have them?". Actually the button itself, as well as the shank, is called a bird cage.
The buttons are made of two (in some shapes three) separate pieces. The cap is dish-like with large mouthed opening on the under side. The shank portion (a hollow cone pierced by four slits) fits over the opening like a lid.
The above are not for sale but I just listed several, they are
available in my ecrater button store under the CHINA category
@ Pegs Buttons

China buttons Bull's- Eye 1800's

Button collectors call these bull's-eyes..they are a gaiter button, dome shaped with a metal loop shank and plate.
There are 15 different Bull's-Eye patterns on gaiter buttons.
They are from the late 1800's.
The above are not for sale but I just listed several, they are
available in my ecrater button store under the CHINA category
@ Pegs Buttons

Watch Crystal Buttons 1840-1870

A clear glass unrimmed face disc which may be convex or flat and which may or may not have a beveled edge: it has a wide metal shank-plate fastened to the front disc, with black adhesive material: a pattern (sometimes hit or miss) which must be inserted between the glass disc and the shank plate, never on the observe side of the disc.
These are very fragile buttons..believed to be dated between 1840-1870.
The largest button someone has repaired with a self shank. The transparent blue glass with pearl chips is constructed the same as the others. Click on picture to enlarge.