Button
late 18th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1925-2-31-a,b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet fascinating "Button," dating to the late 18 century, offers a glimpse into the everyday elegance of early American life. Produced during the post-Revolutionary period, when the young United States was forging its cultural identity amid European influences, such accessories were essential to fashion. Buttons like this one served not just as fasteners but as subtle statements of status and craftsmanship, adorning garments from frock coats to waistcoats in a time of rapid social change. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's costume and accessories collection, it was...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...