Button
1865-1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Silver buttons were an important element of traditional dress in Spain. Unlike in most other European countries, women were just as likely to wear them as men. Both sexes wore them in extravagant quantities, along the seams of jackets and trousers and in bunches at the wrist, as well as to fasten clothes. Although filigree buttons were the most typical, many regions used buttons made of sheet metal as well.
They were rarely sewn directly on to the clothing. In some places people fastened them to their costume with a strip of leather, which ran through the button loops inside the garment. More commonly they used T-shaped toggles permanently attached to the button.
Women's buttons tend to be larger and more decorative than those worn by men. These heavy buttons were worn by women, in sets of three or more on each sleeve, at the cuffs of their jacket. The long link was needed to stretch across the fullness of the blouse worn underneath.
They were rarely sewn directly on to the clothing. In some places people fastened them to their costume with a strip of leather, which ran through the button loops inside the garment. More commonly they used T-shaped toggles permanently attached to the button.
Women's buttons tend to be larger and more decorative than those worn by men. These heavy buttons were worn by women, in sets of three or more on each sleeve, at the cuffs of their jacket. The long link was needed to stretch across the fullness of the blouse worn underneath.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver filigree |
| Brief description | Heavy silver filigree toggle button, Murcia (Spain), 1865-1870 |
| Physical description | Silver filigree hollow spherical toggle button, with oval link and cast bar. Decorated on the front with a circle of granules surrounding a ring of twisted wire round a larger central granule. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Worn by women. |
| Summary | Silver buttons were an important element of traditional dress in Spain. Unlike in most other European countries, women were just as likely to wear them as men. Both sexes wore them in extravagant quantities, along the seams of jackets and trousers and in bunches at the wrist, as well as to fasten clothes. Although filigree buttons were the most typical, many regions used buttons made of sheet metal as well. They were rarely sewn directly on to the clothing. In some places people fastened them to their costume with a strip of leather, which ran through the button loops inside the garment. More commonly they used T-shaped toggles permanently attached to the button. Women's buttons tend to be larger and more decorative than those worn by men. These heavy buttons were worn by women, in sets of three or more on each sleeve, at the cuffs of their jacket. The long link was needed to stretch across the fullness of the blouse worn underneath. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 735D-1870 |
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| Record created | March 14, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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