Calico buttons are a type of molded, high temperature-fired porcelain common in the 19th century. The term “calico” refers to the decorative print on the button’s surface, which was made to match calico-printed fabrics of the same pattern.

The image above is a sample of more than 600 buttons recovered from the Dorchester Industrial School of Girls site in Boston, Massachusetts. Girls at the Industrial School were trained in various types of domestic work, including sewing and mending. The calico buttons (boxed in red) represent the range and volume of imported calico fabrics during the late 19th, early 20th century.

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More Buttons in Archaeology

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