Button — Six buttons with pastoral scenes, Dieppe, ca. 1780 - ca. 1800
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1780 - ca. 1800
Button in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 860 to E-1870), made in Dieppe, dated ca. 1780 - ca. 1800. The museum's brief description reads: Set of six buttons, carved ivory on tinsel with glass and metal mounts, depicting amorini and shepherdesses in landscapes, French (Dieppe), ca.
1780-1800. Museum description: Set of six carved ivory buttons each depicting an amorini or shepherdess in a landscape, on a red tinsel background on metal buttons with glass covers. The museum records it as Carved ivory on red tinsel, mounted in glass and gilt metal, measuring Diameter 3.6 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This is a collection of six carved ivory buttons made in France (Dieppe) in about 1780-1800. These buttons are carved with amorini and shepherdesses, with landscape accessories set against a red tinsel background. The two leading cities for ivory carving were Paris and Dieppe. Luxury items, such as combs were often made in Paris, especially during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. During the seventeenth century Dieppe became increasingly significant for small-scale sculpture in ivory, perhaps because it was a port.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- ivory, glass, gilt metal, foil
- Dimensions
- Diameter 3.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Carved ivory on red tinsel, mounted in glass and gilt metal
- Place recorded
- Dieppe
Identification
- Museum object name
- Button
- Museum object number
- 860 to E-1870
- Museum system number
- O166431
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.