Age of buttons?

[Joji Furukawa]

I’ve had these 4 tiny buttons for a while, they came mixed in with a huge jar I found at a thrift store and I’ve always wondered how old they are. It appears they’re enamelled brass, I’ve placed them next to a dime for size comparison. They look sort of Art Nouveau with that stylized leaf (ginkgo?) design but I have no idea if they’re that old. I don’t believe they’re marked at all. Any help with dating would be appreciated!

 

[claireshaeffer]

Your buttons are lovely, but I can't help with the dating.

 

[Metro Retro Vintage]

So lovely -- will put a shoutout to @amandainvermont who has a friend that is tops in the field.

 

[Joji Furukawa]

Thank you!

 

[amandainvermont]

I have written to my friend in France. Now we wait.

 

[amandainvermont]

Quick answer from France -

I agree that they are ginkgo leaves, and that the design is art nouveau or at the very least art nouveau in inspiration. I have seen this design quite frequently, so I have a feeling they were produced for a long time. Yours appear to be good quality examples -- some I see are on very thin stamped brass. The bad news is that enamel buttons, for some reason that is totally beyond me, don't attract a lot of collectors. These also have their small size going against them. I would expect a set of four of these to sell for somewhere between $5 and $10.

And then for the fun of it, he showed me a photo of a competition tray of enamel buttons he made for a past show.

 

[Joji Furukawa]

Thank you so much for writing to your friend, also that tray is amazing wow!

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

just now seeing this, Joji, it's nice to see you again! Amanda's friend is amazing! and i LOVE your buttons!!!!