The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-05-12
MILLIONS IN BUTTONS
CATCHES MADE OF COSTLY DIAMONDS
IN THE DAYS OF LOUIS XIV.

tic Buttons In the Eighteenth Century.
Collectors Pay High Prices.
Recently ut the Hotel Drouot there
was "a sale Of curious and interesting
collection Of ancient buttons, the proper
ty 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, tho musician, col
lected 1850 different specimens. In
1S49 collector in Client exhibited
more than 30, 600, and M. Maignien,
the librarian of the Grenoble library,
gained certain reputation in this
branch Of curiosities through his oollec-
ton Of buttons Of liveries and Of uni
forms.
The buttons of the eighteenth century
bring high prices i'll the market at the
present time There are some Of them
that Fragonard, we are told, decorated
with his marvellous pencil. In his time
it was fashionable to make presents Of
buttons as big az crown piece, on
which allcgories 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 arc
made upon them, and this ornamental
ton is extremely costly. Some Of them
represent the medals Of the IL Caesars
others antique statues and still others
tho Metamorphoses Of Ovid.
Isabey. i'll his biographical notes,
says that when he came to Paris no
worked for u living by making copies
of Vanloos and Bouchers on the lids Of
snuffboxes, and that for these medal
lions he was paid from 6 to 8 francs
each "As it was still the fashion, he
said, Ito wear buttons as big as n 8
franc piece, upon which Cupids, flowers
and landscapes We're cut in cameo, l
went into that business. got ~ sous
for each. -
Two years after this period III 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 tho taking of the Bas-
tile, the emblem of tho three orders,
tho Phrygian cap, the portraits Of Louis
XVI, Of Mirabeau.
Shortly nfterward these ornaments
were laid aside The reign of the ar
tistio button was over and the mother
of pearl button became general.
The oldest buttons at present i'll tho
museums and among the collections are
the gold buttons discovered at Mycen9,
ut the time of the excavations undertake
en- by DIR. Schliemann, and also those
found i'll the tomb of Ghilderic l. The
latter were exhibited at the Louvre i'll
the Museo DIES Souverains. They arc
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
You'd IL doubt, are these that were worn
by Louis XIV. NJ. Maze Sencier, in tho
Register of Diamonds and Presents to
the King, at present preserved i'll tho
ministry of foreign affairs, gives an on
oial account of the buttons of that pomp-
Gus sovereign. 1t is as follows:
Feb, 3, 1856. -Montarcy presented
to the king so diamond buttons, valued
at $50, $50 livres.
May :, lGS5.-Made and delivered
by Sieur Bose, G diamond buttons, 80
600 livres
July 20, 1855. Handed over by
Montarcy to tho Marquis de Seignelay
for the king 20 diamond buttons, 5S6,-
703 livres.
Aug. /, 1855. Two diamond but
tons, 81, S66 liyres.
Aug. IL, 1888. Three diamond but
TONS 60, GEO livres.
Dec. 20, 1855. -Four diamond but
tons s3.775 livres. "
Another item i'll the same year:
July 20, 1856. Furnished by Mon
turcy for tho kings vest; Forty eight
gold buttons, each set with n diamond,
and 90 clasps, AZ of which We're com
posed of five diamonds each and 4S Of
ono diamond each 1856, 1913 livres.
Also 1854 clasps for the doublet of
the king, 1863 of which were formed Of
five diamonds each and 1853 of one dia-
mond each, l,006, $40 livres
In addition there We're seven orna-
mental clasps of three diamonds each,
20l, go livres.
Sundry presents, SO ornamented
clasps, 67i, 1866 livres. -
That foots up n total of about 3, 900,
600 liyrcs for the buttons of the Great
King" for the single year of 1885. The
preceding year Louis XIV received a lot
of buttons that We're valued Mt l,071 900
livres. In these enumerations there is
no mention of the diamonds for the
shoes, the carriers, the cuffs and the
hats of the monarch.
We arc obliged to admit, with our
coats and overcoats garnished with mis-
cradle little cloth and bone affairs, we
cut II pooY figure i'll the fancy button
business compared to the dudes of the
days of Louis XIV.-Paris Figaro
For SALs-a Backus Water Motor.
Apply Mt TuE KRooRp office.
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