Bidspirit auction | A Collection of Late 19th

A Collection of Late 19th to Early 20th Century Japonisme Gilt Metal and Enamel Buttons, Associated with The Mikado - A group of vintage buttons, primarily crafted from brass, bronze, or other gilt base metals. The buttons often feature dark patination and occasional enamel detailing in colors such as red, green, and blue. Predominantly round, they vary in size and exhibit a strong Japonisme style, depicting East Asian figures, pagodas, dragons, and floral motifs. Several buttons display visible East Asian characters; for example, the ”Dragon” button features the Chinese characters ”長壽” (chángshòu), translating to ”longevity,” while others show stylized Japanese phonetic script (e.g., ”タテ” or 'tate' meaning 'vertical' on button). Some buttons are set within black resin or early plastic surrounds, and large button features a textured reddish-brown insert. Handwritten English labels on the collector's card, such as ”Yum-Yum,” ”Mikado,” ”Ko-Ko,” ”Pitti-Sing,” ”M. Chrysanthemum,” ”Dragon Slayer,” and ”Mme. Ch,” suggest an association with characters and themes from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta *The Mikado* and related Orientalist influences. Largest button diameter: 1.75 inches (4.4 cm) Smallest button diameter: 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) Burns in-house shipping is available. Pick up is Saturday, Nov. 22, from 11 am to 2 pm at our gallery in Lancaster, Ohio 43130 or we will provide in-house shipping for this item. We will charge a $5 fee if you want to pick this lot up another day. Once packed up we will send you an invoice for shipping & handling. Shipping questions: shipping@burnsbid.com. Sales tax is collected on this auction.