Button

Art Historical Context

This delicate button, crafted around 1780 by an unknown Italian artist, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of late 18th-century fashion. Made from metal and ivory, it features finely detailed portrait of a woman, capturing the elegance of the era's portraiture traditions. Such miniature portraits on personal items like buttons were popular among the European elite, serving as both functional fasteners and cherished mementos—perhaps of a loved one, family member, or admired figure. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and gifted from the Hanna S. Kohn Collection in...