Painted Tin Button with Ivory Backing

Revolutionary / Directoire · 1790s · Haitian

A circular button featuring a miniature painted scene executed in gouache on tin with ivory backing. The composition depicts multiple figures in what appears to be a domestic or social scene, with careful attention to facial features and clothing details. The painting technique shows fine brushwork typical of miniature art, with warm earth tones dominating the palette. The metal rim shows signs of age and wear consistent with 18th-century craftsmanship. This type of pictorial button represents the height of decorative button-making during the Revolutionary period, when such accessories served both functional and ornamental purposes on formal garments.