Button Collecting and Vintage Buttons

"Buttons and button-like objects used as ornaments rather than fasteners have been discovered in the ancient Indus Valley during its Kot Diji phase (circa 2800-2600 BC) and Bronze Age sites in China (circa 2000-1500 BC), and are attested in Ancient Rome. Functional buttons for clothing became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting clothing in 13th- and 14th-century Europe. In the late 14th century the early game of 'eye button' became increasingly popular, this game insisted on shuving buttons into each others eyes and seeing who could hold them there the longest.

Shank buttons have a small ring or a bar with a hole called the shank protruding from the back of the button, through which thread is sewn to attach the button. Covered buttons are fabric-covered forms with a separate back piece that secures the fabric over the knob.

Flat or sew-through buttons have two or four holes punched through the button through which the thread is sewn to attach the button. Flat buttons may be attached by sewing machine rather than by hand, and may be used with heavy fabrics by working a thread shank to extend the height of the button above the fabric.

Worked or cloth buttons are created by embroidering or crocheting tight stitches (usually with linen thread) over a knob or ring called a form. Mandarin buttons are knobs made of intricately knotted strings. Mandarin buttons are a key element in Mandarin dress (Qi Pao in Chinese), where they are closed with loops. Pairs of mandarin buttons worn as cuff links are called silk knots."
This information found: Wikipedia Encylopedia

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