One of twenty-six ivory buttons painted with butterflies
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1880
This object is a circular button crafted from ivory and painted in watercolour. It is one of a set of twenty-six buttons featuring miniature paintings of butterflies. The painted ivory disc is mounted beneath a protective glass disc within its setting.
The central decoration presents a naturalistic depiction of a winged insect or butterfly with green, orange, and blue details, positioned against a light background with delicate blue foliage or radiating strokes above and below. The artwork reflects the Company style, executed with fine miniature brushwork. Produced in Delhi around 1880 by an unknown maker, the button represents Indian miniature painting applied to functional personal adornment. Such miniatures from Delhi could be purchased individually or set into jewelry and boxes.
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
Miniature paintings of this type developed from the traditional skill of Indian court artists. Following the decline of Mughal court patronage in the eighteenth century, artists moved to new centres or produced works for the growing European population in India. By the mid-nineteenth century, this had evolved into a substantial souvenir trade. While Delhi miniatures typically depicted Mughal emperors or Indian monuments, naturalistic subjects like butterflies were less common. The button was presented to the museum by W. Chapman Esq.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Watercolour on Ivory, painted
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Unknown
- Place recorded
- Delhi
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- One of twenty-six ivory buttons painted with butterflies.
- Museum object number
- IS.25-1898
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.