Enamel Buttons: An Essential Resource for Collectors

Though enamel buttons have been around for centuries and are favorites of button collectors, there has not been a book completely dedicated to their study . . . until now! Author Karen L. Cohen brings her unique perspective as an enamelist, Studio Button Artist, and educator to Enamel Buttons: An Essential Resource for Collectors. Meticulous research combined with her insights about the properties of enamel and the techniques used in buttons make this a must-have book for every collector. Hundreds of photos provide examples of the various techniques and button types and are a valuable resource for study.

Cohen explains why things look like they do, such as why Motiwala Bros. ＂Liquid Enamel＂ buttons look like they flow, while also helping the collector distinguish between closely related techniques, such as Champlevé and Cloisonné or Monochrome and Grisaille. Her extensive research on the evolution of enameling techniques provides the history chapter with fascinating facts intertwined with how they relate to enamel buttons. Cohen has documented many of the enamelist makers along with their back marks, making it easier for collectors to identify button finds. The appendices include related information such as how to identify enamel look-alikes such as CPE (cold plastic enamel) and restoration techniques.

If you already collect enamel buttons, this is an essential resource for understanding your collection in more depth. If you are curious about the topic, this book tells it all: history, material, techniques and embellishments, makers, and more. If you are a collector of other types of enamelware or are fascinated with enameling or are someone who resells enamels such as antique dealers, this book is an excellent resource about the various aspects of enamel in general. Lastly, it’s a button book you will enjoy paging through again and again, admiring the hundreds of glorious enamel buttons!

Karen L. Cohen has been an enamelist and educator for more than 40 years and is the author of The Art of Fine Enameling. She also loves buttons and is both a collector and a Studio Button Artist. Her unique perspective of enamelist/collector shows through in every aspect of this book, as she explores the history of enamel and buttons, documents the work of antique and contemporary button artists, and uses detective skills to explain the many techniques you’ll find in enamel buttons and how to tell one from another. She resides in Milford, Pennsylvania.