Handmade Ceramic Buttons circa 1930

June 4 | 2022

A duckling, a bunny, a lady bug—tiny emblems of summer. Although near antiques, this trio of buttons, possibly from a child’s garment, haven’t lost their relevance. They’re a reminder of the beauty and vulnerability of small lives that intersect with our own. As handmade objects, they bear the touch and affection of their makers, each button revealing of a modest act of imagination. The cluster of buttons belongs to the collection described in my recent memoir, The Smallest Objective, and I treasure them for how they illuminate the past while enhancing my present.