Antique Buttons: A World History in Few Centimeters【Yanaka Red House Button Gallery】

Imagine, for instance, your favorite shirt hanging in your wardrobe. The color of the fabric, the shape of the collar, the silhouette it creates when you wear it. But have you ever stopped to consider how many buttons are on that shirt? Five or six maybe. Despite being an element so commonly interacted with when dressing, we often pay them no mind.

However, there are those who are so captivated by buttons that they have opened their own galleries. One such place is the 'Yanaka Red House Button Gallery' tucked in a residential area in Taito, Tokyo. A plethora of antique buttons stimulate the aesthetic senses of those visiting this gallery. Buttons on display here are also available for purchase.

In this article, we interview the gallery owner, Kumi Dreves. Let us explore the history of fashion recorded by such an essential part of our attire – buttons.

Could you tell us about the Yanaka Red House Button Gallery?

We opened in 2013 and specialize in the collection and display of antique buttons from 18th and 19th century Europe and beyond. Buttons have a very unique history. Most buttons today are made of plastic, with others made from shells, metal, or buffalo. However, in the past, buttons incorporated a wider variety of materials and designs. You had the dazzling glass ones, ivory ones, Bakelite and celluloid, and even 'casein buttons' made by incorporating an ingredient found in milk into the resin, which gives the button a soft texture. We also sell some buttons made with these now seldom seen materials.