An Art Form on An Art Form

Every once in awhile we open a box of buttons or pick up a card with a gasp and our hearts skip a beat. That is exactly what happened this past Tuesday when I went to my cousin's house to look at more of "Auntie's Buttons".

This Satsuma is big and beautiful, and in mint or near-mint condition. (I see no flaws). And the gasp was well-founded, according to what I have been able to find out. The picture here is of a Japanese woman doing a floral arrangement (Ikebana). Maybe chrysanthemums?

The discovery of this button on a card of wonderful Satsumas led to quite a quandry for me. The question was, "how do I price a button like this?"  In this case I found something similar and just "winged it". Then somebody emailed me and said, "I bought this one 2-3 years ago for. . . and it is my most expensive button. . . " She had paid about $25 more than what I had decided, so I guessed fairly well (this time).

I love this picture button because to me it is an art form on an art form, something to be appreciated and cherished. Now the question is, "where will she make her home now that she is leaving my aunt's collection?"

There is always a bittersweet emotion associated with selling one of my aunt's nicer buttons. She built her collection when buttons were found scouring attics, frequenting flea markets, and pounding the streets. It took her (and people she loved) 40 years or so to accumulate the glorious buttons she had. The button hunt began for her before she ever saw a television show and before eBay was even a thought in someone's mind. She got her buttons the hard way and I have a great deal of respect for what that must have involved.