The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-05-28

tic Buttons In the Eighteenth Century.
Collectors Pay High Prices.
Recently at the Hotel Drouot there
was "a sale of curious and interesting
collection Of ancient buttons. the proper
~ Of Baron Perignan of Paris. This col
lection, which was exhibited in 1889 at
the exposition of decorative arts. might
rival any one Of those belonging to the
most enthusiastic buttonists in the
world Clapisson, the musician, col
lected 1850 different specimens. In
is49 collector in Client exhibited
more than 80, 900, and M. Maignien.
the librarian of the Grenoble library.
gained a certain reputation in this
branch Of curiosities through his collec-
ton Of buttons Of liveries and Of uni
forms
The buttons Of the eighteenth century
bring high prices in the market at the
present time There are some Of them
that Fragonard, we are told, decorated
with his marvellous pencil In his time
Ii was fashionable TO make presents Of
buttons AS big as q crown piece, on
which allegories and various subjects
were carved.
Bachaumont writes in his Secret
Memoirs" Nov. Is, 1886: 1.-The mania
for buttons is today extremely ridicu-
lous. They are not only Of enormous
size, some Of them AS big as six pound
crowns, but miniatures and pictures are
made upon them, and this ornamental
ton is extremely costly. Some Of them
represent the medals of the ~ Caesars.
others antique statues and still others
the Metamorphoses Of Ovid.
Isabey. in his biographical notes,
says that when he came to Paris he
worked for living by making copies
Of Vanloos and Bouchers on the lids of
snuffboxes and that for these medal
lions he was paid from to francs
each. "As it was still the fashion," he
said. Ito wear buttons as big as 8
franc piece, upon which Cupids, flowers
and landscapes were cut in cameo, I
went into that business. got 12 sous
for each.
Two years after this period in the
life Of Bachaumont buttons abandoned
erudition to take up edileship. All the
fine monuments Of Paris were carved
ON them. Then came the patriotic but
tons. representing the taking of the Bas-
tile, the emblem Of the three orders,
the Phrygian cap, the portraits Of Louis
XVI, Of Mirabeau.
Shortly afterward these ornaments
were laid aside. The reign of the ar
tistic button was over, and the mother
OF pearl button became general.
The Oldest buttons at present in the
museums and among the collections are
the gold buttons discovered at Mycene,
at the time Of the excavations undertake
en- by DIR. Schliemann. and also those
found in the tomb Of Childeric l. The
latter were exhibited at the Louvre in
the Musee des Souverains. They are
made Of gold and Of colored glass, imi-
tating garnet. Buttons detached from
copes and religious garments Of the
middle ages and of the renaissance
have also been discovered
But the richest things of the kind, be-
yond doubt, are those that were worn
by Louis XIV. NJ. Maze Sencier, in the
Register Of Diamonds and Presents to
the King" at present preserved in the
ministry Of foreign affairs, gives an Off
cial account Of the buttons Of that pomp-
ous sovereign. 1t ia as follows:
Feb. 8, i6s5.-Montarcy presented
to the king so diamond buttons, valued
at $50, $50 livres.
MAY z, l6s5.-Made and delivered
by Sieur Bose, diamond buttons, 3d.
900 livres.
July 26, 1856. Handed over by
Montarcy to the Marquis de Seignelay
for the king 20 diamond buttons, $780,
703 livres.
Aug. I, l6s5.-Two diamond but
tons, 81, 500 livres.
"Aug. 16, l6s5.-Three diamond but
tons, 50. $50 livres.
Dec. 30. 15S5.--Four diamond but
tons, SO, 775 livres."
Another item in the same year:
July 26, 1885. Furnished by Mon
tarcy for the kings vest: Forty-eight
gold buttons, each set with diamond,
and 96 clasps, 48 Of which were COM
posed Of five diamonds each and 48 of
one diamond each. 1856, 1873 livres
Also Ss4 clasps for the doublet Of
the king. 1872 of which were formed Of
FIVE diamonds each and 1863 Of one dia.
mond each, l,OO6, 345 livres.
"In addition there were seven orna.
mental clasps Of three diamonds each,
20l, 270 livrea
"Sundry presents, 38 ornamented
clasps, b74, 1865 hvres.
That foots up total Of about 5000.
900 livres for the buttons of the Great
King" for the single year Of 1885. The
preceding year Louis XIV received LOT
Of buttons that were valued at l,07l, 900
livres. In these enumerations there ID
no mention Of the diamonds for the
shoes. the garters, the cuffs and the
hats Of the monarch.
We are obliged to admit, with our
coats and overcoats garnished with mis-
cradle little cloth and bone affairs, we
cut poor figure in the fancy button
business compared to the dudes Of the