Button

A button is a disc or knob sewn on to a garment and usually that is pushed through a gap (buttonhole) in a material so as to act as a fastener. They may also be used for decoration.

They have been made from lead,tin, bronze and from fabric. They might be made by casting with separate or integral shanks, a composite of two sheets of metal or by a bunched scrap of cloth sewn into a ball. Sometimes buttons might have a fabric covering such as silk or a metal covering such as silver

Buttons were common from the 13th century onwards although they are known from earlier finds.