Something I always keep an eye out for is buttons with any kind of "inlay" craftsmanship. Usually with Bakelite buttons, these include inset pieces of wood or mother of pearl. But sometimes I find Bakelite buttons that have been inlaid with pieces of Bakelite—and this is what I love the most. Today's button is exactly what I'm talking about. It shows a plain piece of creamed corn Bakelite that's been inlaid with two precision-cut pieces of black Bakelite. The result is a starkly noticeable design; and in this case, I see a chic, geometric statement that is decidedly art deco. Usually, I find this Bakelite-set-in-Bakelite motif on bracelets and earrings and other forms of Bakelite jewelry, but here we have a button (probably going back to the 1930's) and it's a snazzy example of the lengths designers went to in advancing Bakelite as a versatile fashion substance/work of art.
-Sherbert McGee
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