Button
late 19th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Helen S. Stone and Bromley S. Stone
Accession Number
1937-35-42-b/e,g,i/p
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian Art Museum's collection of and accessories, this intriguing "Button" hails from the late th century—a time when everyday fasteners evolved into miniature works of artistry. During the Victorian era and Gilded Age in America, buttons were far more than utilitarian; they adorned garments with elaborate designs, reflecting social status, craftsmanship, and emerging industrial techniques. Produced in vast quantities thanks to innovations like mass molding and plating, these small objects captured the era's fascination with ornamentation, from floral motifs to pictorial scenes. Though the artist and exact medium remain unknown—part of ongoing research—this button exemplifies how ordinary items preserve cultural history. Donated by Helen S. Stone and Bromley S. Stone, it invites us to ponder the hands that fashioned it and the wardrobes it graced. Such artifacts remind museum visitors that art thrives in the details of daily life, bridging fashion, technology, and personal expression in late 19th-century America.
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...