Buttons
19th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-59-515-a,c,d
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection of costume and accessories, *Buttons* represents a charming artifact from the 19th century. Though the artist and exact medium remain unidentified—reflecting ongoing research—this set hails from an era when buttons were far more than mere fasteners. They adorned garments with flair, serving as tiny canvases for personal expression amid the Industrial Revolution's booming textile trade. In the 1800s, buttons evolved from utilitarian bone or wood pieces to elaborate designs in materials like brass, porcelain, or fabric-covered forms, o...
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...