Button
19th century
Medium
costume & accessories
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1931-59-183-a,b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet intriguing artifact, titled simply *Button*, hails from the 19th century and resides in the Smithsonian American Art's collection of costume and accessories. Craft by an unknown maker, it exemplifies the everyday objects that museums preserve to illuminate the textures of daily life. With research still in progress, this button invites us to ponder the artistry hidden in the functional— a small fastener that once secured garments in an era of rapid social and industrial change. In the 19th century, buttons from humble necessities to symbols of fashion and ingenuity. Americ...
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...