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| Note the twisted brass wire at 3:00 on the button holding the carved beads to the metal rim. |
And the construction? Amazing!
R i g h t? *grin*
Well the thing that really got me going were those wired BEADS!
It was the beaded border that had me a bit unsure. After I reset my jaw, I wondered for a minute if they were vegetable ivory, but that didn't seem quite right by the way they looked. There was a difference in color in the beads, especially one in particular (see above) that reminded me of something, but I couldn't put a finger on it. It sat on a card as I pondered it for weeks...
Then I remembered!
COQUILLA NUT! (pronounced Ko-Kee-Ya)
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| I WILL explain! *grin* |
It's not a button construction you'll see used often, and you may not have ever even heard of these types of beads or nuts, but its use was well documented during the early 1800's for a variety of items and was used in manners very similar to what we call vegetable ivory for buttons.
The Coquilla Nut is South American and is in fact the fruit from a Brazilian Palm. It is also closely related to the coconut palm and is used like the slightly smaller vegetable ivory nut that is called Corozo. There are 6 different varieties of palms that have similar nuts. The oval nut is larger on the Coquilla, about 3 to 4 inches long, and has a very hard, richly streaked brown shell that is capable of taking a fine polish.
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| A COQUILLA NUT AND AMBER BEAD NECKLACE |
The nut of the Coquilla was used for a variety of highly ornamental popular items,, usually with "Turnery" carved, and drilled designs.
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| Victorian Coquilla Nut Thimble Cases |
"The uncommonly pleasing colour of the shell, the hardness and the native mottle which appears when it is highly polished, renders it capable of being employed, with the most agreeable effect, as it is susceptible of the most tasteful forms — on the writing-table, in wafer-boxes and seals, pounce, sand-boxes, &c. — on the ladies’ work-table, in needle-cases and thimble-cases, cotton-boxes, pincushions, &c. — or on the toilette and dressing-table, in boxes for lip-salve, rouge, scented sponges, and every kind of pomade. In the form of egg-cups, the nuts will be found to decorate the eating ‘table.
As bell-pulls, they are very elegant. As they appear to great advantage when worked up into beads, rosaries, and crosses, they will, doubtless, give a pleasing variety to personal decoration, when shaped into necklaces, bracelets, ear-rings, and other trinkets. Little useful pocket articles, as nutmeg-graters, cases for smelling-bottles, and other similar portable conveniences ; in short, whatever has been formed from ivory, may be produced from the shell of the Coquilla, whose beauty will not fail to attract, while the price of the article will satisfy the purchaser.”"
(the entire book is on line, free at HERE)
More wonderful information about Coquilla Nuts to give you an idea about the natural nut's look and more can be found at the Nutmeg Graters (dot) com website HERE.
So... Vegetable Ivory is actually Coquilla nut!? They look very similar. Yikes!! But really, it's ALL Vegetable Ivory, just a different species with a slightly different size fruit/nut. Buttons embellished with these carved beads aren't plentiful and are usually wired or riveted on to the button.
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| A hand-full of wonderful! |
So... This lovely button is definitely an oldie (Div I), and a large size, The beautiful wood appears to be Rosewood and is slightly lipped. The wood face holds the stamped metal design face by attached pins which go through the wood and are curved back flat on the back of the button through the bar shank.
The bar type shank stretches from the metal outer curved metal border piece which cradles and holds the wired beads on. It has a soldered brass metal loop shank. A complicated and wonderful construction!
I have a bit more research to do on this one to make 100% sure it's Coquilla (UPDATE - I'm sure it IS). Unfortunately, this boxing up of the house to put it on the market and getting ready to move in December/January is interfering with my buttoning AND writing in this blog!! LOL
I'm also going to try to do a bit of searching to find out WHY this woman has her hands inside her Obi sash. LOL Is that socially acceptable? *rolls eyes* Does she stash her cookies there so her kids and her husband can't find them? Bwahaaaaaaaa That's what I'D DO with my obi
Seriously, I'd like to know if she is a Geisha? A Courtisan? A story character or famous figure of some kind? You know me... always curious what the story is BEHIND THE BUTTON.
*grin*
SO... I just wanted you all to see this jaw dropper now, even though I don't have much info. on her yet, and also just to drop a little bit of Coquilla Nut information on you!
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Until next time! <3 FBR
P.S. A quick update: Thanks to Jackie Douglas of Toronto for emailing me to tell me that she spotted this button is in the 1977 book Buttons - A Collector's Guide by Victor Houart on page 83!! “button of Japanese inspiration...brass on a
black metal background surrounded by beads in boxwood. 1880-1890. “ How lucky am I that she just got that book!?
I confess, I NEVER look in that book! Why? Mr. Houart is a GENERAL collectible's author (his books include those on Antique Spoons, Miniature Silver Toys, Easter Eggs, Sewing Accessories), and doesn't really have much to offer about buttons (IMHO), so after the first look through, it just went on the shelf with all the rest of my button books. BUT... I ran upstairs to my button books, and sure enough *tah dah* there she was! I don't think Victor got the bead material right, or it was made from different beads at different times perhaps? Mine doesn't have a black metal background like he mentions either (maybe that was in error on Mr. H's part due to the b/w photo?), and he doesn't give a clue as to the size of the button that is shown in his book. Regardless, much thanks flying out to Jackie. It was fun to see a grainy photo of this button in a book, and I still think it's a rather scarce button, BUT I'll keep looking to see if I can find more! 'Till next time! <3 FBR
