ArtSci Entry: Soapstone carved pewter buttons

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Garb on Garb: Hand carved soapstone lead-free tin alloy buttons

Introduction

Buttons used to fasten or close clothing first appeared in the 13th century in Germany, with the first button maker’s guild formed in 1250. In the 13-14th century, buttons used to accentuate the curves of the body (arms and chests) and the more buttons (and more exotic the button) the higher class you were (Heese & Heese Jr., 2007).

Inspiration

Located in East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Complete cast pewter button dating to the medieval period (c.AD 1300-1450) (National Museums Liverpool, 2023).

Period Materials and Methods

Carved steatite (soapstone) cast button molds have been found dating to Medieval times. Softened animal horn could be pressed into the molds and left to harden, as could metals with low melting points, such as silver and pewter. A button mold measuring 150mm x 50mm x 20mm was found in Scalloway, Scotland showing different sizes and designs (Scalloway Museum, 2022). Solid cast buttons with an integral loop are typically dated between 1300-1600 (Hesse & Hesse Jr., 2007).

ArtSci Materials and Methods

Soapstone was carved in three pieces - the head and two pieces for the channel and shank. A wooden form was made to hold the pieces in place so that the liquid alloy could be poured directly into the carved channel. The metal was a lead-free tin alloy (pewter). An electric crucible was used to melt the metal. Once the metal was cool, it was removed from the form, the extra metal from the channel was cut off and the sharp edges were ground down.


Final Product

Buttons are a total length of 15mm, with a total height of 9mm, shank height of 6mm, and width of 5mm. One button was chosen to test with a hand-stitched medieval buttonhole to show how it would work.



Bibliography

Primary Sources

National Museums Liverpool. (2023). Button, LVPL-55C965. Retrieved from Portable Antiques Scheme: www.finds.org.uk

Scalloway Museum. (2022). Retrieved from Scalloway Museum: https://www.scallowaymuseum.org/ancient-scalloway.html

Secondary Sources

Hesse, R., & Hesse Jr., R. (2007). Jewelrymaking Through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group.

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