Button
DateLate 18th or early 19th century
Artist/Maker
Mrs. William Meredith
MediumSteel, gilding
DimensionsDia: 1 3/8"
Credit LineGift of Mrs. William Meredith.
Object number1971-8
DescriptionSuit button: large, flat polished steel disk with radiating lines and crimped edge, centered with superimposed gilded star, tinted (blue) rosette, fastened through with a faceted (blue) steel pin which forms the shank at back; brightly polished finish.Label TextMen’s suit coats had numerous buttons, some for fastening the coat closed, but most for decoration. Some coats had as many as thirty buttons down the coat front, on the cuffs, on or beneath the pocket flaps, and on the pleats at the rear of the coat. Suit buttons came in a wide variety of materials and styles to achieve a glittering, rich effect. Women used fewer buttons, except on man-tailored jackets, such as riding habits, because their clothing was usually pinned or laced closed.ProvenanceDonor is a button collector and member of the Betsy Ross Button Club of Pennsylvania, founded in 1943. See correspondence in object folder.
