Description:This mother of pearl, gilt and blue glass button is of the type which would have been produced by Matthew Boulton at the Soho Manufactory. Boulton produced a wide range of buttons and buckles which are shown in his pattern books. Others produced similar buttons and because they are not marked in any way it is not normally possible to attribute buttons such as these to a particular maker.
This example is part of the Luckock Collection, a selection of over 500 buttons gathered together by James Luckock, a jeweller and button maker in St Paul's Square, Birmingham in the 1780s. Dating from between around 1770 and 1830, they were made at a period when Birmingham buttons had an international reputation and were exported to many continental countries as well as to the United States.
The Luckcock Collection is almost entirely composed of buttons made to be worn on men's coats or waistcoats. In the 18th century, buttons were rarely worn by ladies. This example is on display at Soho House.