Rosette button

One of the most valuable archaeological discoveries in post-war Szczecin is the so-called Podzamcze treasure, discovered in 1999 during archaeological intervention works. Silver Pomeranian coins and silver and gold ornaments of costume, among which there were variously decorated buttons, were in a metal vessel with a ceramic lid, the so-called grapen. This type of ornamentation belongs to relatively rare archaeological findings from the late medieval period. Iconographic sources indicate the high popularity of buttons in European fashion, especially in the 14th century when tight-fitting sleeves became popular. One of the buttons from the treasure is distinguished by the shape of a four-leaved rosette, with a soldered eyelet for attaching to clothing, made, among other things, by the repousse technique. Also called boning, it consists in cold-forging relief elements using light hammers, the so-called goldsmith's hammers and soft anvils, and punches with different heads, allowing various shapes to be obtained. The repousse technique is one of the most difficult goldsmithing ones, requiring careful selection of raw materials and high jewellery skills.

Małgorzata Peszko