Ivory Gouache Painted Button with Turbaned Figures

Revolutionary / Directoire · 1790s · Haitian

A circular button featuring a miniature painted scene under glass with a gold metal rim. The gouache painting depicts multiple figures in turbans and flowing robes gathered around what appears to be a merchant or trader scenario. The figures wear white, brown, and pink garments typical of Caribbean colonial period dress. The ivory backing provides a luminous ground for the detailed brushwork. This type of pictorial button represents the sophisticated decorative arts of late 18th-century Haiti, combining European miniature painting techniques with local subject matter. The gold rim shows wear consistent with actual garment use rather than purely decorative display.