2 piece bone button back fragment with one visible eye

Notes

Bone button molds were disks cut from animal bone, often identifiable by the presence of a single central hole created by a cutting tool during production. The bone disk often served as the back of a two part button. In this button form, the face of the button was commonly comprised of a stamped metal sheeting, usually some form of copper alloy, which would be crimped onto the back along the beveled edge of the bone back, clearly visible in this example. In the earliest examples of this style from the mid-eighteenth century, four eye holes were drilled into the bone back, through which cat gut was strung to form a shank to attach the button to clothing. It is likely this fragment is from such a two piece button based on the evidence of the beveled edge and the off center eye hole.

In the eighteenth century, buttons came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes this variation can be used to identify which articles of clothing a button may have been used in the past. The diameter of this button backing is too fragmentary to suggest a functional usage.

Object Type

Buttons

Has it Been Conserved?

No

Where Was It Found?

Project Site: House for Families    [more details]