King-sized and weighty as rocks, this pair of Bakelite squares are among the most massive buttons in my collection. In a deep forest green and a red brick tone, the colors shine with a glassy appeal. Shape-wise, each button slopes downwards on two sides with feathered carvings laying out a bold and stylish impact. Interesting side note: these buttons were sold to me by an antique dealer in New York City who acquired the set at a warehouse auction in Connecticut where these buttons and a dozen more like them remained sealed in storage since the 1930's as part of some "lost stock" belonging to a firm owned by the Gimbel Brothers, famous for their chains of department stores that go back to 1887. The buttons were likely made in the late-1920's. Matching the traditional colors of Christmastime, I've come to see these as Santa's lucky keepsakes.
-Sherbert McGee
No comments:
Post a Comment