Auction closes to new bids (extended bidding after 9 pm CT on high activity lots):
#1 Italian Micromosaic Tree Scene
#2 Etched Steel Castle
#3 Manor Scene Painting Under Glass
#4 Kinne Moon and Tree Enamel
#5 Weeber Nest with Eggs
#6 Medium Rabbit Micromosaic
#7 Aluminum Mushrooms Couture
Gilded aluminum mushrooms crafted in France in the late 1940’s from unused war machinery by Font Guyot, likely for a couture house. See examples of this in Loic Allio’s book, “A Button Odyssey.” We had a similar aluminum swan button in the last auction. Cast self slab shank. Est. selling price is $100-200.
Current bid: $232
Next minimum bid: $257
#8 18th-C Mourning with Monogram
A finely detailed scene in sepia within an octagonal border on natural material features a monogram, garland wrapped pole, an empty arrow sheath suspended from a tree, and a building in the distance. A circlet of gold stars on dark rust color borders the scene. Mounted under glass with a copper rim and copper reverse. Est. selling price is $400-600.
Current bid: $775
Next minimum bid: $825
#9 18th-C Landscape
#10 Realistic Arita Ladybug
#11 Beetle on Sheet Overlay
#12 Gaumond Garden
#13 Basket By Hope
#14 Bird on a Branch Matte Enamel
#15 Robin Engraving
#16 Lacy Glass Quartet
#17 Lily-of-the-Valley Watch Crystal
#18 Drum and Stage Satsuma
A da-daiko drum, used for Bugaku dance performances with Gagaku (Japanese court music), is shown on a decorated platform (stage) on this old Satsuma ceramic as a blooming cherry tree fills the air with snow petals. See similar examples in Satsuma Buttons and Buckles by Nishida and Allen, p. 263. Est. selling price is $100-200.
Current bid: $250
Next minimum bid: $275
#19 Shell Cameo Scene with Steels
#20 Two Orchids and a Mum
#21 Arita Butterflies
#22 Aurora Lacy Glass
#23 Deluxe Pastoral Painting
#24 Rose Basket
#25 Abalone Butterfly in Silver
#26 Realistic Arita Mum Blossom
#27 Amethyst and Green Jewel
#28 Limoges Butterfly
#29 Morning Glories Japanese Enamel
#30 Coralene Glass Irises
#31 Iris Satsuma Triangle
#32 Steel Sickle and Wheat
#33 Bridge and Tower Micromosaic
Exquisite and very fine micromosaic scene with stone bridge and tower set within a red glass border. Note how the water under the bridge shows the reflection of the bridge’s arches. Gold mount with quality pinch mark on the shank. Shown in “Buttons” by Epstein and Safro, pg. 125. Est. selling price is $400-600.
Current bid: $800
Next minimum bid: $850
#34 Dorchester Pottery
Americana schoolhouse or country church transfer scene on glazed stoneware from the Dorchester Pottery Works near Boston, MA. Designed and signed by Knesseth Denisons. This family run company, founded in 1895, continued operating until 1979, long past other commercial New England potteries had closed. Knesseth Denison was an artist employed by the company during the 50s. Est. selling price is $100-200.
Current bid: $257
Next minimum bid: $282
#35 Small Bird Enamel Duo
Two choice small enamels with bird designs. An early one-piece white enamel with colorful handpainted bird and raised border scrolls has a rolled rim and counter-enameling. A blackbird silhouette scene is over a basse taille background of peach sky and blue water. Est. selling price is $30-60.
Current bid: $140
Next minimum bid: $150
#36 Brooks Thistle
#37 Morning Glories Enamel
#38 Georgian Goldstone Jewel
#39 Thistle Jewel
#40 Goodyear Pansies
#41 18th-C Threadwork
#42 Motiwala Filigree Birds
#43 Pietra Dura
#44 18th-C Octagonal Copper
#45 Etched Parrot on Steel
#46 Lacy Glass Duo
#47 Jeweled Peacock Eye
#48 Pearl Peacock with Pearl
#49 Orange Enamel Liberty
#50 Foil Eye Black Glass Ball
#51 Peacock Feather Habitat
#52 Peacock Shibayama
Modern Shibayama in natural material features a relief inlay peacock display in other natural materials including the bird’s fabulous carved iridescent abalone shell tail. Engraved and tinted detail for the grasses and flower bloom. A stress crack at 5:00 on the rim continues a bit on the reverse. Self peg shank. Est. selling price is $100-200.
Current bid: $275
Next minimum bid: $300
#53 Peacock Eye Gay 90s
#54 A Swan and an Iris
Fabulous Art Nouveau era button featuring a gilded swan and an iris on the darkened metal. The foliage of the large iris bloom and the swan’s wing shape the border. The button is also found with a shell background and was made for French designer Jacques Doucet, who created designs for actresses of the time, including Sara Bernhardt. Est. selling price is $200-400.
Current bid: $310
Next minimum bid: $335
#55 Arts & Crafts Enameled Silver
Large enameled silver design by William Hair Haseler, who formed a partnership in the 1890s with Arthur Liberty and launched their Cymric silver line. This button features beautiful aqua and teal colored enamel and a center pearl. Backmarked W.H.H. with Birmingham city and date mark of 1906. Est. selling price is $200-400.
Current bid: $250
Next minimum bid: $275
#56 Lavender Eye Jewel
#57 Comma Arts & Crafts Enamel
Unusual Arts and Crafts silver with enameled “commas.” London city and maker’s hallmarks on the front with date mark for 1903. (Additional info since catalog printing: Maker was Florence and Louisa Rimmington, a niece and aunt collaboration.) Est. selling price is $200-400.
Current bid: $340
Next minimum bid: $365
#58 Arts & Crafts Plique
#59 Peacock Eye Steel Velvet Back
A prong mounted peacock eye jewel centers this cut-steel jewel design backed with black velvet. Other steel jewel velvet backs can be seen BBB PL 29-1 and 2. The velvet has lost much of its nap. Painted silvered reverse with brass loop shank. Est. selling price is $200-400.
Current bid: $227
Next minimum bid: $252
#60 Related Bird Pair
#61 Rabbit Watch Crystal
#62 Tole Dish Shape
#63 Lady in Red Bonnet
#64 Fruit and Flowers
#65 Birds, Nest, and Eggs
#66 Miniature Portrait Gallery
Ten small enamel portraits mounted in brass borders and one diminutive enamel portrait, all unique. The buttons come mounted on an antique postcard of the drawing room of the International Eastern Star Temple in Washington, D.C. One portrait wears a veil in her hair. Several wear hats, including one with a wide brimmed reddish hat and jacket to match, who is the only fellow in the group. Est. selling price is $60-100.
Current bid: $141
Next minimum bid: $151
#67 Wax Resist Lily of the Valley
#68 Georgian Porcelain
#69 Jeweled and Enameled Iris
#70 Sunflower French Tight
#71 A Tulip and a Lily Aritas
#72 A Potted Iris
#73 Elegant Carnation
#74 Black Glass Jewel Gay 90’s
#75 Jeweled Related Pair Portraits
#76 Small Wedgwood Domed Medallion
#77 Georgian Five Hole Natural Material
#78 Portrait Transfer Porcelain
#79 Velvet Back Steel Cup
#80 A & C Turquoise Spindle
#81 Pottery Group
#82 Garnet, Enamel, and Seed Pearls
#83 18th-C Ice Skaters
A playful and humorous 18th century painting under glass of three boys skating on the ice. One appears to be shivering in the effort, one plays with his shadow, and perhaps the other is catching sunbeams as they make their way around the ice. Gilt copper rim. Est. selling price is $600-1500.
Current bid: $3450
Next minimum bid: $3550
#84 18th-C Royal Copenhagen
#85 Verbal Cat Livery
#86 Porcelain Seasons Set
#87 Blue Burwood Penguin
#88 Shell in Metal
#89 Winter Sport Scene Enamel
#90 Tingue Duo
#91 Etched Shell
#92 Oval Turquoise Inlay
#93 Hamm Wood with Celluloid
#94 Gilded Engraved Shell on Shell
#95 Old Beadwork
Old beadwork featuring tiny glass beads sewn all over the surface with colors creating a butterfly design. The button is constructed of a silk fabric covering a metal mold. Reverse shows silk gathered fabric and the brass wire loop shank. Est. selling price is $30-60.
Current bid: $50
Next minimum bid: $60
#96 Turquoise Spindle Lacy Glass
#97 Day and Night Glass in Metal
#98 Fleur de Lys Gay 90s
#99 Georgian Kite Fliers
#100 Glass Owl Head in Brass
#101 Gin Bari Butterflies
#102 Burwood/Syrocco Dragon
#103 Georgian Golden Cockerel
#104 Gin Bari Morning Glories
#105 Early Silver Jewels
#106 V.I. Group
Five small to medium Vegetable Ivory buttons including a molded pinwheel design with paste center, a stenciled tile pattern, a hexagon with inset pearl center, a molded triploid pattern sew-thru, and a stenciled daisy scene whistle shank. Est. selling price is $30-60.
Current bid: $14
Next minimum bid: $16
#107 Carved V.I. with Brass and Steel
#108 Paper Mache Rebus
#109 Horse French Tight
#110 Silver Jensen Horse Head
#111 18th-C Screen Face
#112 Golden Horse Bimini
#113 18th-C Pastoral Battersea Enamel
Here is a most desirable enamel, the superb pastoral cow scene from the Battersea factory. This late 18th century painted enamel on copper with counter enameled back depicting two cows in a meadow is framed with gold rococo scrolls on the pink border. Est. selling price is $1500-3000.
Current bid: $3626
Next minimum bid: $3726
#114 Jeweled Horse
#115 Small Black Glass Pictorials Group
#116 Artic and Other Carvings
A group of natural material carvings, most of northern Artic origin. Included are a polar bear head with carved self loop shank, a rectangular carving of a walrus on an ice floe with self shank, a realistic seal with brass loop shank, a realistic elephant with brass loop shank, a large realistic lion with self shank, and two large polar bear face trim pieces (trim hole attachment in the ears). Est. selling price is $100-200.
Current bid: $170
Next minimum bid: $180
#117 Black Stallion Portrait
A black stallion’s portrait, beautifully painted by Russian artist V. Romanov on this large wood with lacquer finish. Two rings of coppery gold luster decorate the border. Signed and dated 2002 on the reverse. Also backmarked with the Golden Cockerel logo. Wire shank. Est. selling price is $60-100.
Current bid: $475
Next minimum bid: $500
#118 18th-C Silver Sporting Horse
#119 DuBois Cow
#120 Work Clothes Group
#121 A Butterfly and a Tulip
#122 Turquoise Studded Peasant Silver
#123 Peasant Silver Dangles
#124 Peasant Silver Duo
#125 Big Salt Glazed Swirlback
#126 Dancing Doll Animated Studs
This pair of brass rimmed under glass studs feature “jiggling” dancing figures. The cut paper dolls with a unique wire and nail stud mechanism are thought to have been made in 18th-C France and later utilized in these late 19th-C studs, according to an article by Peggy Ann Osborne, NBB October 1987, p. 137-139. The dolls’ foil dresses have fallen to the background over the years, and they now dance in their underpinnings. Est. selling price is $200-400.
Current bid: $75
Next minimum bid: $85