Livreiknopen van koper met het wapen Van Hees c. 1853 - 1866

Curator: This is an assemblage from sometime between 1853 and 1866 called "Livreiknopen van koper met het wapen Van Hees," or "Livery Buttons of Copper with the Van Hees Coat of Arms" created by Hendricus & Zn. Heus. Editor: Immediately, there’s this allure of hidden stories; each button whispers of its past life adorning some distinguished coat. They gleam with an almost pirate's treasure aesthetic, though in a delightfully refined way. Curator: Right, what interests me is their production. As decorative art, these metal buttons served a crucial role in signifying social status and belonging. Uniformity, detail in the heraldry... It's all tied to labor and the economics of identity. Editor: You know, I see more than just class signifiers; I sense character! Imagine the nervous fiddling with these buttons, the purposeful fastening, the occasional popped stitch hinting at adventure! It's a micro-drama. Curator: A micro-drama firmly embedded within a much larger economic and social one. Consider the specialization of labor required to create each tiny coat of arms. And think of the access and material affluence needed just for a family to commission buttons like this. Editor: Okay, materialist, you have a point. The shimmer isn't just from aesthetic value, is it? It's connected to history and labor. Curator: Exactly. That connection is vital, especially when these pieces cross over the arbitrary divide between high art and "mere" craft. It makes us consider where value truly lies. Editor: Still, let's not discount the 'sparkle', the immediate emotional resonance. Like stars against gray worsted wool! Anyway, thanks to these gorgeous copper buttons, now I want a custom coat of arms. Curator: They certainly do their job drawing the viewer in. After diving in on production aspects and how class and commerce factored into them, I might want that, too. Editor: What an interesting and thoughtful bit of insight we've found.