Going over my buttons this morning, my eyes fell on this large complexity in chocolate Bakelite with a brass escutcheon that could almost serve as a Victorian bib. The button is folded upwards like a taco with the metal ornamentation settled into the Bakelite, hence the brass piece is bent to fit into the fold. Notice also that the Bakelite is carved with deep slits, adding to the twists and turns of this elaborate display of alloy-meets-plastic. It's hard to imagine what this button would've rested on clothing-wise. Maybe a heavy coat of some sort? Because of its prim and persnickety vibes, I was going to call this button "The Fussbudget" or "The Starchy Vicar" or maybe something a bit more Shakespearean since this old snob looks like it might've once played in King Lear. In the end, I've decided to call this button "The Pilgrim" because it conjures up visions of English Puritans tiptoeing for the first time in Massachusetts. Plus, it's Thanksgiving.
-Sherbert McGee
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