A large silvered metal realistic hand with detailed lacy cuff. Hollow construction. Metal loop shank.

This quality large one-piece brass features a spider over an engraved web, a bee, and a sheaf of wheat with a sickle. Further engraving details on the ground. This scarce button is related in design to a rooster button shown BBB PL 143-2. Brass loop shank.

Deluxe late 19th century etched pearl with trefoil leaf design is mounted in a silvered metal art nouveau style border repeating the triad theme flowing leaf design. Brass reverse with cut-out bird cage shank.

A lovely openwork thistle champleve enamel is mounted on a border of faceted pastes. The reverse shows the mounting bar with loop shank.

A scarce oval Victorian celluloid with cream celluloid center and repeating teardrop motif border. Brass loop shank.

An attractive openwork champleve enamel in blues and green with a center faceted light blue glass jewel. U shank extends from the support wire on the reverse.

A Victorian ivoroid featuring a detailed scene of Balmoral Castle. Shown BBB PL 260-20. Mounted in a brass rim and back with loop shank.

Lacy molded black glass with iridescent dark purple aurora finish is mounted in a brass rim and back. Hump shank.

A large flat engraved brass mounted with a brass bonnet. Collectors include this button in the Fop classification as it resembles those sometimes worn by the Merveilleuses. Shown BBB PL 163-2. Brass loop shank.

A large and deluxe version of the Falcon Huntress in pierced brass with cut steels around the border. Shown BBB PL 125-11. Brass loop shank.

This quality openwork brass features a mythological subject sometimes confused with Cupid. Note, however, that the Satyr has hooves for feet. A similar button is shown BBB PL 174-1. Brass loop shank.

A Merveilleuse, or female Fop, holds her open fan in one hand and her dress with the other on this cut steel jewel embellished brass scene. Mounted in a steel cup. Steel wire U shank.

An attractive Gothic style pierced enamel surrounds the center purple satin glass domed cabochon. Brass beaded border. Heavy U shank.

A harpy, a mythological bird with human head, stands atop a potted container with a rose bush. This scarce copper tinted pewter escutcheon is mounted over a dark tinted back with roped brass border. Brass reverse with hump shank.

A beautifully carved profile of a woman’s head with classic hair styling and headband. Finely etched background and delicate pierced border. Swaged-in brass plate and loop shank.

Sweet rosebuds and forget-me-knots were handpainted on this center enamel in an openwork mount embellished with maroon and turquoise pierreries and framed by a sparkling border of faceted pastes. Gilt reverse with loop shank.

A large and deluxe 18th century Wedgwood with gilt copper border is mounted on finely engraved pearl embellished with spindle-shaped steels. The Wedgwood depicts a winged Cupid holding an arrow. Copper shank.

A deluxe 18th century pearl features a bezel mounted faceted paste over the center carved rayed pearl mounted over a rayed petal shaped steel. The steel is recessed into the pearl with carved outer border design embellished with steel. Copper plate with loop attached to the paste pin shank. The reverse reveals the over 200 years wear and tear age. So many stories it could tell!

A very scarce square shaped Victorian Div. I lacy glass with beautiful cranberry color and lovely tulip petal corners. Only about 5% loss of silver foil paint on the reverse. Brass hump shank.

This large oval micromosaic button features a full-blown pink cabbage rose. Brass mount. Brass loop shank.

A lavender-jeweled cluster of grapes surrounded by tendrils and leaves is the centerpiece of this rare pictorial Gay 90s button. Elongated loop shank.

A trio of copper chicks can-cans across this large, domed wood button. Loop shank.

A brilliantly plumed bird perches on a flowering branch on this extra-large French champleve enamel button. Loop shank.

An Art Nouveau swirl in champleve enamel is encircled by cut steel jewels and an outer enameled laurel garland motif. Gilt reverse with U shank.

A beautiful 18th century two-color copper with concentric engraved rings. Heavy copper loop shank.

The ceramic center on this scarce button features a quiver and pipe emblem against the dark tinted ground. The brass mount is embellished with faceted paste jewels. Brass reverse with brass loop shank.

Silk thread embroidered floral design on velvet shows its age, yet retains value for its history. Fabric stitched reverse.

This striking 18th century copper features a textured overlapping ribbon border design and a finely lined center. Provenance with the button notes Birmingham origin, ca. 1770-1780. Heavy loop shank.

A scarce and deluxe 18th century pearl faced with a border of mirrored glass rectangles and a center blue and clear paste openwork jewel bezel mounted in silver over a velvet back. Domed copper plate and pin shank.

A delicate bouquet of brass and silver floral stems inlaid in tortoise and laminated over a dome shaped natural horn. Inserted brass loop shank.

Molded and sepia tinted ivoroid cherries on a leafy branch is mounted on brown gutta percha. Brass loop shank.

Pronouncing the elements of this charming French rebus yields “J’ ai son coeur,” or “I have his heart.” Delicately painted and in excellent original condition, the button has a copper rim and loop shank, and a tinned sheet-iron back.

One of the great landmarks of 18th century Paris is depicted in textured white gesso on a violet background. Built as the church of Sainte Genevieve, the building was reconstructed as a Neoclassical monument to important French citizens, using Rome’s Pantheon as its model. Iron reverse with loop shank.

This late 19th century or early 20th century realistic button depicts a military helmet and a pair of pistols. Great detail and beautiful silvered finish. Elongated loop shank.

A brightly iridescent shell with a hobnail border and foil-backed pierced spindles is centered by a jeweled pin-shank.

Hand-tooled garlands and a bow frame a classical urn on this 18th century copper button. Loop shank.

This large deluxe old Satsuma porcelain depicts three Geishas in a musical performance. Two play musical instruments while the third dances with a fan. Curved thread shank with gold backmark.

This repousse silver button of Asian origin features a scene with a seated robed figure holding a large basket. Silver loop shank.

A quality open-work one-piece brass depicts the figure Marcel, from Les Huguenots, an opera by Meyerbeer, popular in the 1890s. Shown BBB PL 200-4. Loop shank.

A young man plays the bagpipes for his shepherdess sweetheart on this fine painting under glass mounted in unmarked silver. Silver loop shank.

A woman fills a vessel at a public fountain as a red-jacketed man looks on. Reverse-painted under glass and mounted in gilded copper. Heavy loop shank.

A rare formal portrait of a North African gentleman is contained within an oval reserve on this fine painting under glass. The inner gilt border and the copper rim form a clever frame for the portrait. Copper loop shank and tinned sheet-iron back.

This scarce Victorian picture button was probably made at the time of Lady Liberty’s 1886 dedication. Lacquered steel back (normal wear to lacquer). Loop shank.

A hand-tinted engraving depicting Revolutionary slogans and symbols is mounted under glass in a copper setting. Loop shank.

A large Victorian translucent white glass in a faux fabric design retains the original satin finish with lavender detail. Two-way brass shank.

A brass dragonfly with silver tinted wings in a cutout scene is mounted in a fancy tinted brass border. The wings do not react to a magnet. Japanned reverse with metal loop shank.

A pretty and unusual old satsuma porcelain with an all-over botanical design featuring orange and green leaves and blue scrolls over the gold dotted background. Self shank with rounded edge.

A large Div. I black glass features a portrait of Katisha, from The Mikado. Mint condition. Lots of lovely detail. Shown BBB PL 160-10. Recessed brass plate and U shank.

This deluxe brass features an oriental woman holding an umbrella and walking on her pattens. A carved and pierced pearl overlay depicting a bench and tree is attached with cut steel jewels, as is the figure. Cut steel jewels form the border. Brass loop shank.

A scarce and lovely 19th century engraved bone features a sepia tinted oriental woman holding a fan while butterflies flit around her. Red tint accent. Brass plate and loop shank.

An attractive enamel in turquoise with a center triad design encircled by cut steels and an outer border of laurel leaf garland decoration. Heavy U shank.

A large version of the sweet figural enamel featuring the subject titled “Who’ll Buy My Lavender?” Foil flecks decorate her dress and a border of cut steel jewels frames the scene. Shown BBB PL 14-10. Gilt reverse with loop shank.

A fairy-style castle against a dark night-sky background is attractively framed with a scalloped and pierced border design revealing the mirror underliner. Japanned reverse with loop shank.

A large brass design titled “Wee Hoose ‘Mang the Heather”.  The name is derived from the Scottish thistle plant which forms the border design. Shown BBB PL 26-17. Japanned steel reverse with brass loop shank.

An iridescent dark pearl center is framed in brass with multiple border designs. Brass loop shank.

A large and scarce one-piece brass button with an applied figure of “The Little Colonel”, shown BBB PL 194-12. The flat brass back has an engraved design of a wall and archway. The Little Colonel series of books for children was written starting in the late 1800s.  This version has the brass escutcheon on a tinted and engraved flat brass back. Brass U shank.

This exquisite woman’s portrait in abalone is beautifully cameo carved from one pearl disc. The carving reveals the mottled iridescent background in striking contrast to the woman’s head. Swaged-in brass plate and loop shank.

A large pierced brass depicting Red Riding Hood and the Wolf in a wide border decorated with scroll flourishes. A similar button is shown BBB PL 199-13. Brass loop shank on a support bar.

A large brass picture showing a fisherwoman with her net on the banks of the water. Sailing vessels can be seen on the water and birds flying in the sky. Shown BBB PL 208-14. Tinned steel reverse with brass loop shank. Bkmk D.L. PARIS.

A large tinted brass of the scarce “Crying and Laughing Babies” in a pierced design with foliage against a dark tinted background. Similar version shown BBB PL 198-6. Japanned reverse with metal loop shank.

An openwork silvered metal features a cobalt blue enameled clover with brilliants decorating the petals and the border. Metal loop shank.

A beautiful Div. I large sepia glass decorated with a molded design of a Merveilluse with fan against a design of floral stems. The figure and floral blooms are colored brown, the foliage stems are gold lustered, and the rim of the button is painted black. Brass plate and loop shank.

A large Div. I black glass depicts a bird on a trellis on one half while an ivy vine trailing over the other half. Both shiny and matte finish for this intaglio design. Brass plate and loop shank.

A deep red glass jewel with brass rim is framed by a beautiful magenta-dyed pearl ring, and mounted on a thick lacquered metal base. Brass loop.

A large button from the early 1900s with a stamped and silvered brass escutcheon of a lady with a fan against a brass wallpaper patterned background. The figure has traditionally been known as Katisha from the Mikado. The wallpaper background rolls over the rim. A similar button is shown BBB PL 236-9. Tin reverse with self hump shank.

An openwork brass button showing two oriental figures with two cut steel embellishments, one in the shape of a crescent moon and the other forming a portion of a wall. This button is titled “Oriental Wedding” and is shown BBB PL 237-4. Brass loop shank.

A boy delights in a bird’s nest high in a tree he has climbed on this brass pictorial with brown tinted background. Japanned reverse with loop shank.

This large openwork enamel embellished with a multitude of cut steel jewels has interesting mottled enamel coloring in shades from black to purple to amber. Large U shank.

The troubadour Blondel plays his lute next to a castle with twinkle background cut-out windows on this original tint brass. Brass reverse with hump shank.

A lovely German made jewel with center brown glass framed by a leafy brass border embellished with faceted brilliants. Brass reverse with loop shank. Backmark GESETZLICH GESCHUTZT.

A great button for an objects tray is this brass suit of armor with twinkle border. Shown BBB PL 269-7. Metal loop shank.

Two knights in full armor with shields and extravagantly plumed helmets are depicted in peaceful confrontation on this scarce openwork brass with cut steel jewel embellished border. Brass loop shank.

A large Div. I clear lacy glass from the 19th century reverse painted in three colors of black, red, and amber. The molded front features a beaded pattern of three concentric rings. Minor chipping on the reverse edge does not show from the front. Brass shank.

A deluxe brass featuring the head of Lohengrin, from the opera of the same name. The brass portrait is over a celluloid imitation wood background and mounted in a square brass frame decorated with a fanciful lion and scrollwork border. Another version is shown BBB PL 160-5. Brass loop shank. Backmark A.P & Cie, PARIS.

A lovely large Div. I  Victorian lacy in colored amber glass with remaining hints of silver luster decorative finish. Four-way brass shank.

Great detail in this large cut-out brass Roman bridge scene mounted over the dark tinted background. Shown BBB PL 265-2. Actual Roman sites visible include the Castle of Sant ’Angelo on the left and Vatican City with St. Peter’s Basilica on the right. Metal loop shank.

A large original burgundy tinted button with a scene titled “Woodland Vows”, and shown BBB PL 205-11. The young man engraves a heart into the tree. Japanned reverse with metal loop shank.

A basket with floral blooms in chased engraving is featured on this beautiful 18th century copper. Silver plated reverse with copper shank.

A beautiful engraved early pearl from the late 18th century or early 19th century. Swaged-in brass loop and plate shank.

A large one-piece pewter button from the late 19th century of a young man in elaborate 16th C. costume.  Shown BBB PL 226 – 8. Brass loop shank.

A large steel cup version of the theatrical Scaramouche, who usually appeared at a window sitting on a crescent moon playing a guitar in the late 19th century pantomimes. A similar version is shown BBB PL 160-13. Metal loop shank.

A large attractive champleve enamel features a pink and red bloom with stem and leaves and a blue butterfly flitting overhead. Two rows of cut steel jewels embellish the design. Metal loop shank.

This large scarce brass pictorial screenback has been titled both “Teasing Mother Bird” and “Robbing the Bird’s Nest”. Shown BBB PL. 189-1. Japanned reverse with metal loop shank.

A twisted thread mesh embellishes the front of this slightly convex painted brass with floral motif border. Brass U shank.

A ribbon tied floral bouquet is framed with a decorated border on this molded natural horn from the 19th century. Molded self-shank. A pic mark is visible on the reverse.

A pink and blue butterfly flits above pink roses and blue forget-me-nots on this lovely enamel with openwork border embellished with cut steel jewels. Gilt reverse with wire U shank.