Page 31 - November-December1965

Nov.-Dec., 1965 NATTONAL BUT'TON BULLETIN 277
So great was the gentleman's appreciation of my son's courtesy, that he gave
trim some coins and the buttons here illustrated, for me. They could not have
been purchased at a.rty price. The buttons are not things of beauty, which is
obvious. There is very little that I can tell you about them, pracLically no form of
research being available.

The antiquarian made a few notes on a small paper, which is attached to the
card. T'lxe button in the center of the upper row, he describes as lead, Etnlscan,
VI Century B. C. Ttre small ones in this row, and the snall ones below, he
designated as prehistoric Bronze Age, about 1500 B. C. The stone one in ihe lower
right hand corner as Etruscan, B. C. No mention was made of the safety pin. I
have seen illustrations quite similar to this in some books or magazines. They
were attributed to the Bronze Age. No mention was made of the three lower left
hand buttons. The four buttons designated as of the Bronze Age are shaped
according io the illustration. There is a sort of bar which forms the shank.
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T'he very la.rge buton is of cast bronze. I have been told that this t),lpe was
used !o fasten the flowing garments typica^l of the age. Ttre shank, or back, is
similar to the other four. As I understand, slits were cut in tJre garments, a piece
of cloth or leattrer was passed through the strank or bar, and fastened through the
slits in the garment; or a portion of the cloth wa^s twisted a.nd the cloth or a
leather thong tied around it. It has been s&id that such buttons or ornarnents
were used to fasten the togas of the very early RomaIs.