Tiny Glove Buttonhook with Carved Mother-of-Pearl Handle

Here is a beautiful miniature size antique glove buttonhook with a carved mother-o-pearl handle and silver decorated collar.  This lovely little antique ladies' accessory is likely to be late Victorian or Edwardian - Circa 1890 - 1910.  It was possibly part of a manicure or sewing set and it is likely that it once had other 'companions' with hand-carved matching handles - maybe a stiletto for needlework, or a nail file, or perfume corkscrew.  The quality is excellent and the item is both useful and a collector's piece.  This button hook measures just about 3 inches in length.

A Testimonial from Mrs. Jemma Traynor -

'Thank you for the buttonhook, it was the most useful thing for helping with the small buttons on the back of my silk wedding dress.  My bridesmaid found it so easy to use.  We both think that it saved her manicured nails from any damage too!  I also have a pretty antique as a keepsake and feel sure that it may come in handy again.'

More information for collectors -

There is a strong  interest in buttons and buttonhooks of all kinds not just in the UK but across Continental Europe and the USA too.   A recommended publication is the Shire Book 'Buttonhooks and Shoehorns'  ISBN 0-85263-696-2 which traces the origins of these collectables. With lots of photos, it explains the various types of hook :-glove hooks, boot buttonhooks, combination hooks with a shoehorn etc.,  the many materials used to make them:-real gold and silver, to steels with other handles - mother of pearl, horn, ivory, bone, early plastics, bakelite, celluloid and other metals. There is information about how they were used for early advertising and  the methods of manufacture in the 19th Century and early 20th Century and the reasons why they became popular and, as fashions changed, fell out of favour.