Wristband with Viking Button

A worn little button hangs from a ring of green-black jade, looking like it has stories to tell.

This wristband with Viking button is of mixed age, in jade, brass and 22 karat gold. Buttons and small fittings from early medieval Scandinavia survive in metal, and pieces like this are often reused as charms. The button is a small oval of weathered bronze-green metal hanging from a loop at the bottom of the band. Round beads of very dark green jade, with a soft sheen, alternate with flat brass spacers. A single ribbed gold bead sits opposite the button, at the top of the circle.

Every wardrobe needs one old fastener with a past.