Mother-of-Pearl Handled Buttonhook - Late Victorian - Edwardian

Measuring just over 4 inches in length this pearl shell and steel antique button hook is very pretty.  The colour of the mother of pearl is creamy and yet it has irridescence with hints of pink in it too.  The shape of the handle is most pleasing it comes from the steel hook end  in two little steps then tapers out slightly then into a wider waisted shape ending in a little knop or round finial to the top. This is likely to have been part of a bigger toilette or sewing set but has lost its companion pieces over time.  It is of very good quality and is a lovely little antique which would make a useful gift for a bride or a good addition to a collection of antique buttonhooks or ladies accessories.

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.