Calico buttons were printed with tiny, delicate patterns to match or complement women’s dresses in the 1850s.
1850s calico work dress with teal calico buttons (image from Chile-n-Cracker’s Reproductions)
The word calico refers to cotton fabrics printed with small, repeating patterns, originally imported to England from Calicutta, India. Cotton dresses from the Steamboat Arabia had dissolved after spending 132 years underwater. Luckily, their porcelain buttons remained intact, showing us how many colorful, intricate patterns were available to women who could afford readymade clothing in 1856.
A sampling of the 29 patterns of calico buttons found on the Arabia
Buttonologists recognize over 300 varying patterns, each available in a rainbow of colors. A recent cataloging project revealed that the Arabia’s collection includes over 10,000 calico buttons with 29 distinct patterns. Here are some details, photographed by David Hawley:
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- Circles Pattern
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- Waves Pattern
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- Plants Pattern
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- Plaid Pattern
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- Scallops Pattern
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- Honeycomb Pattern
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- Plants Pattern
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- Scallops Pattern
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- Circles Pattern
Reproductions of calico buttons can be purchased in the Arabia gift shop.
Sources/Further Reading:
Sandra Brown, “Calico Pattern Guide,” Button Country: An Educational Resource for Button Colletctors. 2012. <http://www.buttoncountry.com/China%20Images/Calico%20Pattern%20Guide.pdf>
George and Gretchen Gauthier, “Calico Patterns: Identification of the most commonly confused pairs,” Button Country: An Educational Resource for Button Colletctors. August 5, 2010. <http://www.buttoncountry.com/China%20Images/CalicoPatternsProgram2.pdf>
Carol Cienna. <www.vintagebuttons.net>
Ruth Lamm, Beatrice and Lester Lorah, and Helen W. Schuler. Guidelines for Collecting China Buttons. National Button Society of America: Boyertown, PA. 1970.