Button
1791-1814 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In Sweden, as throughout most of Europe in the 19th century, silver buttons made to wear with traditional costume were mainly worn by men. Most European cultures disapproved of male jewellery, but buttons allowed men to show off their wealth and status. Where buttons were part of women's traditional costume, they tended to be larger and even more extravagant than those worn by men.
This button is a woman's button. Its shape and function both date back to the Middle Ages, when buttons like this were worn as decoration on the sleeves and shoulders of formal dress.
This button is a woman's button. Its shape and function both date back to the Middle Ages, when buttons like this were worn as decoration on the sleeves and shoulders of formal dress.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt with applied filigree |
| Brief description | Large spherical silver-gilt button, decorated with applied filigree, Skåne (Sweden), 1791-1814. |
| Physical description | Hollow spherical silver-gilt button, covered all over with rings of twisted wire and granules, looking rather like a mine. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'I G' in rectangular frame. (On back.)
|
| Production | worn by women |
| Summary | In Sweden, as throughout most of Europe in the 19th century, silver buttons made to wear with traditional costume were mainly worn by men. Most European cultures disapproved of male jewellery, but buttons allowed men to show off their wealth and status. Where buttons were part of women's traditional costume, they tended to be larger and even more extravagant than those worn by men. This button is a woman's button. Its shape and function both date back to the Middle Ages, when buttons like this were worn as decoration on the sleeves and shoulders of formal dress. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 461A-1886 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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