Buttons

Men throughout Europe wore silver buttons with their traditional costume in the 19th century. Silver filigree buttons had been synonymous with rural dress since at least the 16th century. Most European cultures disapproved of male jewellery, but buttons allowed men to show off their wealth and status.

Swedish men wore several different kinds of button. These buttons were probably part of a set of waistcoat buttons. The front is entirely covered with small filigree coil rings and coloured glass, which are typical of the buttons worn in Småland and Blekinge. Although these buttons rarely carry any marks other than the maker’s mark, they were almost all made in the town of Karlskrona. This button has the maker’s mark AGE. Axel Gabriel Estberg was a Karlskrona silversmith who worked from 1818 to 1868.