Uncover the Secret of This Intricate Antique Artifact
June 28, 2024
Source: Etsy
Every child has somewhere in their memory a room filled with the items of the past – a dusty old wooden chest in the attic of grandparents’ house. Another thing that I still recall is that once I discovered a small, detailed metal tool in that trunk; my grandmother told me it was a buttonhook. Looking back, I was always curious about this small part of history when I was a child asking how could such a small thing be so useful in the past.
Button hooks are relatively common objects which were widely used in the households at the end of the nineteenth and at the beginning of the twentieth century. OK, these were thin but strong tools which were used to secure the numerous buttons on the boots, gloves, and clothes. They closed the difference between fashionable and useful, and therefore people could wear the complicated clothes that were popular at the time.
Think of a day when a woman wakes up and has to put on a pair of boots that have buttons almost on every part of the shoe or a man who is putting on a coat that has several buttons. The button hook was quite useful in such a situation to make the process of dressing a little less tiring. This small tool was usually made with a lot of detailing and was a clear indication of the quality workmanship that was being done during the particular period. It had a purpose but it was also a piece of art that depicted the aesthetics of the time.
These were made from either metal or wood and consisted of a small and curved hook at one end of the tool. This hook was intended to be slipped through a buttonhole or a loop then to grasp the button so that the user can pull through the button without harming the fabric. Button hooks were also developed and modified in size and design as the fashion went on and the type of materials used in clothing changed.
During Victoria period people had to wear high close boots and gloves that were fasten with several buttons therefore button hooks were used. They were frequently incorporated into traveling sets and beauty accessories, so they were frequently given as presents. Some manufacturers took it further to engrave the names or other designs on the tool in a bid to make the button hook stand out from the rest.
Button hooks show the focus on looks and manners during the period in which they were used. Grazing one’s fingers over numerous buttons on a piece of attire depicted a culture that was always particular with detail and formality. Using and owning a button hook was a daily routine that was indicative of the detailed procedures that were followed in personal hygiene and dressing code.
These tools also depict certain changes in society. With the development of the fashion as well as the change in clothes that started to become more casual, button hooks began to lose their usefulness. The use of buttons and button hooks declined in the 20th century when zippers and other fasteners became popular; this demonstrated changing values in society to provide quicker and easier methods of doing things. Still, the button hook is now an antique piece of equipment, which shows how dressing was once an art.
Recalling button hooks seems talking to a friend about precious moments, which have been shared between two. These tools remind one of the past when life was not as fast-paced and even the ordinary items were stylish. There is a homeliness and comfort to be found in this period when we consider the effort that was put into the creation of even the most ordinary object.
Recalling button hooks we can only admire the creativity of people and the aesthetics in the ordinary items of the earlier time. These small tools, sometimes having very artistic look, are the example of the society which appreciated the function as much as the form. It reminds one of the days when men and women dressed up to the T and took a lot of pride in their looks; a culture that may have undergone a change but is still very much in vogue in one way or the other.
The next time you find a button hook in an antique store or in a display of family treasures, then, you will know more about it. This little tool has a story of style and utility, and perhaps more than anything, man’s eternal need to turn something as everyday as a comb into a work of art. It is a real piece of the history, a symbol of the refined taste and the skill typical for that period. Well, it could also make you view the objects surrounding you in your daily life with a different perspective as to how they were designed.