RiV. BAS. StTR, 



PAP. NO." 17] EXCAVATIONS AT FORT LOOKOUT II — MILLER 69 



to the garment. On the upper surface of the button the top of the 

 shank, 2 mm. m diameter, is centrally placed in the shell disk. 

 Below the shell disk the shank was enlarged to 4 mm. in diameter. 

 It extends beyond the base of the button for an equal length. By this 

 method the pearl shell disk was firmly affixed to the brass shank so 

 that there is very little chance of the two coming apart except 

 through breakage or the application of force. A button of this type 

 is illustrated in figure 10, h. 



The later type of "pearl" buttons are small disks, 9 mm. in diameter 

 and 0.5 mm. in thickness, ornamented with a number of slight serra- 

 tions on the outer o^digQ. of the disk on the upper surface. These serra- 

 tions enclose two plain concentric furrows which in turn surround 

 the slight central well in which occur the four small perforations for 

 the thread. Buttons of this type were more costly and were used 

 almost wholly on ladies' dresses and shirtwaists, never on under- 

 garments where they did not show. Mrs. Ford (1943, p. 151) tells 

 us that ; "They were expensive buttons when new, and if you inquire 

 the price of fine pearly buttons in any store today, you will find that 

 even plain ones are not cheap now." These buttons are very white 

 with a pleasing iridescence. 



Bone buttons are represented by four specimens. Buttons of this 

 material have alway been cheap and were usually made from waste 

 or scrap bone. All specimens measure 17 mm. in diameter and are 

 pierced with either 4 or 5 holes. Two of these buttons are perfectly 

 plain and unadorned, while the other two have a slight raised circle 

 surrounding the perforations and the edges have been somewhat 

 rounded. 



Iron buttons were rare. Only a single specimen, which resembles 

 the china buttons in a general sort of way in shape and size, was 

 found. Instead of the central well containing four perforations there 

 are only two. This specimen is badly rusted and nothing can be said 

 about the surface finish or what design may have appeared on its 

 upper side. As a rule such buttons have a design molded or stamped 

 on the upper faces. 



Several sizes of brass buttons are in the collection. They range in 

 diameter from 12 to 18 to 24 mm. The 12-mm. size was pressed into 

 shape from a sheet of brass 0.5 mm. in thickness, the central well being 

 formed at the same time. Later four holes were drilled to provide 

 the means of attachment. The face of each is plain, but on the back 

 are two concentric circles of slight depressions stamped into the 

 metal itself. Since they do not show on the upper surface and can 

 not be considered as a type of decoration, these circles must either 

 have had some function in the fashioning of the button or have had 

 a part in holding on a covering material. 



