Rara avis! While the yellow canary I posted a couple of days ago is more my style, this luscious red finch definitely demonstrates more flair. With a beak painted black and a beady little eye, here's a heavenly creature in the midst of a grand and lofty swoop! Bird buttons are always exciting—no matter what they're made of, but this chickadee tested positive for Bakelite and that makes this a rare bird indeedy. Probably going back to the 1930's, this precious songbird is a high-flown treasure.
-Sherbert McGee
Focusing on animal buttons this week, here's my one and only elephant in a polished tone of satiny chocolate. Owing to its extraordinary shine, I believe this button exhibits some lamination (although it tests positive for Bakelite and hence any lacquered coating doesn't hinder the test). I've seen lots of elephant buttons in other collections and mine has all the features I want to see in a pachyderm: proficiently carved details, a lumbering physique, an upraised trunk and a jovial facial expression. From the 1930's.
-Sherbert McGee
Remember last month when I posted that maroon ladybug and said that I'd be posting a full week of animal-shaped buttons at some point in February? Well, here begins that animal-themed week; and I'm kicking things off with this buttery-golden bird. I love the animated contours of this sweet button with its lightly etched details that form the wispy wings and tail feathers. This button tested positive for Bakelite and was made in the early 1930's. I'll be posting another bird with even more details in a couple of days, but this yellow canary is my favorite. Stay tuned for more animal buttons all week—all of them 100% Bakelite. Tweet!
-Sherbert McGee
Orange Bakelite, right here! This is as juicy and bright as it gets. These plump coat buttons are among the finest baubles in my collection and they are stunning specimens of historic fashion. The lady who sold me these fireballs estimates that they're from the late 1920's and probably hark back to some highfalutin speakeasy in Manhattan. Carved into squared puffs resembling a quilted design, the buttons delve into art deco territory with those tiered corners—so excruciatingly vogue. As far as orange Bakelite goes, no other buttons I've seen match the citric fire of these bodacious riches. Wowzer alert!
-Sherbert McGee
For all the dreaded snow, sleet and ice of this cold, cold winter, here's a mid-Februrary token of warmer weather. A sure sign of spring! This verdant heart tested positive for Bakelite and gives me hope for a leafy new day. With the advent of springtime right around the bend, I'm going to post a full week of green buttons next month. Look for them leading right up until Saint Patrick's Day.
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
Happy Valentine's Day!
-Sherbert McGee
Check it out! This black Bakelite flower button sports an escutcheon that's hammered into a rustic spheroid resembling a coppery-bronze golf ball. I don't actually know the make of the metal, but the petals are smoothly carved scoops that seem made for slicking ones thumbs in and out of. A chic button from the 1930's, this classy keepsake exudes simplicity and charm in equal measure.
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
Nifty chocolate beams with an angular twist, these brown toggles entered my collection a few weeks ago after I found them in a tin full of buttons at a junk shop in Atchison, Kansas. After digging up the pair, I brought them over to the saleslady and she sold them to me for a quarter each. Is that a steal, or what? Fifty cents for these luscious logs. And here's the kicker: these toggle-buttons test positive for Bakelite! Will wonders never cease? Circa 1932.
-Sherbert McGee
