Button — Buttons, Dalmatia, 1850-1899
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1850-1899
Button in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number CIRC.22&A-1951), made in Dalmatia, dated 1850-1899. The museum's brief description reads: Pair of silver filigree toggle buttons, Dalmatia, 1850-1899..
Museum description: Silver, possibly silver-plated, filigree toggle button with crossover bar and oval link squeezed in the centre. The button is made of open filigree with a strip of wire round the centre with a braided cord on the outside. It is decorated with applied discs and granules, and has a flat facetted dome as a knop. The museum records it as Silver filigree, measuring Length 4.5 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
Men throughout Europe wore silver buttons with their traditional costume in the 19th century. Silver filigree buttons had been synonymous with rural dress since at least the 16th century. Most European cultures disapproved of male jewellery, but buttons allowed men to show off their wealth and status. They wore them in extravagant numbers, on sleeves and trousers as well as jackets and waistcoats. Few women wore decorative silver buttons, but theirs are often the most spectacular. In the Balkans, buttons were used to fasten the waistcoat or jacket, for both men and women. Most buttons were made of metal thread, in the Ottoman tradition. Silver buttons, usually made of filigree, were mainly found in the west, along the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia, and in Albania and northern Greece. These buttons are typical of those worn by men in Dalmatia, from their prominent facetted knops to their toggle fittings. They were acquired in Dalmatia in the early 20th century, when they were described as worn with peasant costume.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- silver
- Dimensions
- Length 4.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Silver filigree
- Place recorded
- Dalmatia
Identification
- Museum object name
- Button
- Museum object number
- CIRC.22&A-1951
- Museum system number
- O80012
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.