Page 23 - May1964

May, 1964 NAfiONAL BUITON BULLETIN 117
l|t coNSTRUCTtON Plant Life (f)
Blown (1) Spiral/Pinwheel (g)
Crackle i2) s*""("Ai true slas) (h,
Lacy (3) ripped (j)
Overlay Trim (4, a-j)
Banded (a) Overlay Sheaih (5, a-c)
Dird's Egg or Spatt€r (b) Ribbon/Thread (a)
Dotted (c) Transparent (b)
Qolted and Banded (same button (d) Venetian (c)
Goldstone (e) Overlay Sheet (6)
Ribbon and thread (5a) : canes that simulate ribbon or thread are wrapp€d tighfly
arolnd a core leaving it exposed only around the shank. The core provid& a frame-
work, but has no decorative value.
Transparent (5b): Ttrese are dainty, delicate litue beauties. The sheath, which
coats the core smoothly, may be of any tra.nsparent color, perhaps enhanced by
overlay tr1m. The core, often a fancy shape, is nearly alwats wrute. tt is visibla
thru the sheath and mellows the button col,or.
Venetian (5c): StructuraUy, these buttons are like Venetian beads. StraJrds of
glass look as if ttrey might have been festooned on with a pastry tube. Golcl luster
is profusely used on core or sheath. There is a suspicion that sohe venetian beads
have been converted into buttons by the a,<ldition of a pin-shank. Be that as it
may, there are solid top examples with wire shanks.
overlay sheet (6) Ttro (or more) layers of glass of different colors fused together.
Paperweight (1a,b) construction consists of the fusing together of a set-up and a
transparent cap, also called a crown. The set-up is independenily ma.de and decor-
a_tiyg in naturo. rt may form a base for the cap or the cap may cover it like the
shell of- a nut. The cap may be baU-shape, domed, or moldid in any one of many
fancy shapes. rt is usually, but not always, clear. rt may be beautified wittr over--
lay trim, frosted or salt decorated. The button may have any type metal shank
except key. These features will be noted in the pictures attrro [he buttons were
selected primarily to illustrate set-up classes.
set-up at base (7a) The button has a high-rise cap which gives no impression of
enveloping the set-up. principal kinds are:
Cane Cross-section (a1): A cane suitable for paperweight making is a slender glass
cylinder, a fraction of an inch in diameter. rt has a design running from end to
end and seen in cross-section. The cross-section, or thin slice, is wtrat goes into a
paperweight. The flnest canes contain silhouettes of birds or animals almost too
tiny to be seen with the naked eye. The secret of such minute detail is this: The
cylinder is large around and short when first made. The design, perhaps made
partly with a mold, is large too. rt becomes tiny when the cylinder is warmed and
stretched until it is a.s long and thin as wanted. stretching does not distori the ate-
sign in the least; it remairx perfectly true as it gets smaller and smaller a.nd
smaller.- rn antique buttons, sirhouette canes are accompanied by filigree and other
embellishment. canes with patterns other than silhouett€s (stai, or other conven-
tionar motif) may be of a size to use singly for a set-up. r.ook for them in charm
sfring glass not much larger than diminutive.
cane twisted (a2): A glass rod is like a cane except that it is one solid. color. Twis-
ted-canes, showing two or more colors on the outside, are ma.de by winding rods to-
gether. I'hey are used, not in crpss-section, but like lengttx of ribbon. sometimes
a twisted cane lies on the set-up in a loose spiral, sometimes in a tight coU, or per-
haps in straight lines, or in what looks like basket weave. (These ca-nes are wed as
overlay trim as well as in paperweights.)
Filigree (aB): Authorities say that set-ups with lace ma.de of ,,glass thread,, are of
t|o different constructions. The lace may have been sliced from a cane made
partly with a mold; its name is filigree. or it may be latticinio, a mettrod requiring
puch.porg skill. It appears that old-time button makers always used filigiee, aI
least ttrat is the expert's opinion. Let us then forget latticinio Lxcept for modern
p.w.buttons and speak of filigree set-ups. The p.w.'s which exhibit iiligree to the
best advantage have no design except the lace. This is one of the very scarce kinds.