Slide #1

Chinese Boxwood Buttons and More

Chinese boxwood buttons are some of the most ornate and beautiful collector’s items in the huge and growing button collecting community.  There are antique varieties, but Chinese boxwood buttons are still being produced by skilled artisans in China and here in the United States of America.

Chinese boxwood artifacts, including Chinese boxwood buttons, start as pieces of plain boxwood.  Then the soft wood is hand-carved by skiled artisans, many of whom have spent years and years perfecting their craft.  Carved Chinese boxwood has been used to make all sorts of décor items not only limited to Chinese boxwood buttons.  It is also used to make mirror and picture frames, jewelry, simple carved sculptures, keepsake boxes, figurines, furniture and much more.

Chinese boxwood buttons are still in high demand, which is why they are still being produced.  They are lovely on display in your home or to sew onto your clothing and accessories like purses, jackets and shoes.  They are great conversation pieces, as even many modern Chinese boxwood buttons, but especially the antique collector’s ones, are extremely unique, each with its own special flare.  The smiling Buddhas, ornate dragons and finely carved animals and flowers of the Chinese boxwood buttons tradition will catch the eye of almost anyone.

Boxwood is a very fragrant wood and luckily, it is easy to restore.  If you’ve come across a Chinese boxwood button or a collection of Chinese boxwood buttons,  simple soft polishing cloth and some furniture polish or lemon oil will do the trick to add that luster back to all of your lovely collectible Chinese boxwood buttons.

If you are curious about the market value of one or more of your Chinese boxwood buttons, you may be interested to know that there are appraisers who specialize in this area.  Do a search for appraisers in your area, and find out what kind of knowledge they have in Chinese boxwood buttons.  As well, you can gauge the market value of your pieces by looking for similar style pieces in open auctions like eBay.  As well, you can visit button collector’s shows and conventions, where others with a similar interest in Chinese boxwood buttons may be displaying items similar to yours.  There are also books and guides available that can give you an idea of how much your Chinese boxwood buttons are worth.

All in all, Chinese boxwood buttons are a great place to start for any button collector, for their beauty, history and rich tradition.  Every time you admire your collection, you will know that the heart and soul of the artist who created is smiling back at you.  It will never be difficult for you to maintain the beauty of your collection either.