Arsenbronze Shields (All) – findings

Peasant costume buttons made of arsenbronze from 17th to 18th century. A special chapter in the field of buttonmaking are buttons made of white bronze, or arsenbronze. It is an alloy of copper, tin and arsenic and is exclusively a small-scale manufacture of a rather domestic type that dominated buttonmaking in the 17th and 18th centuries. Their production originated in Germany in the early 17th century and soon spread throughout Europe. The relatively primitive method of casting in clay moulds and the subsequent folk decoration enabled many families, particularly in the foothill border areas, to make some form of profit and survive. Their production came to an end at the beginning of the 19th century, when, after the Napoleonic Wars, impoverished Europe demanded a massive production of almost everything, including tiles. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the production of arsenbronzers therefore ceased very quickly. In particular, it was displaced by machine production, which was better, faster and cheaper. However, this type of button remains highly desirable and collectible for prospectors, as each piece is essentially original and, thanks to the material, a very well-preserved specimen even after 200 years. Arsenbronzes are one of the artistic mini-pieces of folk creativity that are an adornment to any collection.