Turkoman Buttons - Vintage Tribal Buttons - Pack of 50

Vintage tribal Turkoman buttons for belly dance costuming or other DIY projects.  Most will be loose, a few may be on strings.  Our tribal buttons are sorted into packs that most resemble each other, but there will be slight differences in size, shape, metal color and design.  Most Turkmen buttons are between 5/8 inch 3/4 inch across.  Metal shank for sewing or stringing on cord.  These buttons have been taken from old tribal clothing or accessories, bags or animal trappings.  Made by tribal craftsmen. 

In tribal life, vintage components and findings are often reused and repurposed to add adornment to new clothing, jewelry and accessory pieces. You can also find them adorning animals and objects that the owner wishes to keep safe from evil influences. As the item wears and eventually becomes unusable, the pieces that can be saved are repurposed to embellish a newer item. Think of them as the original recycling!

Item No. DMB0200
Button Size:  Most are between 5/8 and 3/4 inch across
Packet Size:  50 buttons
Design:  Dome shaped.  Most have decorative border.
Materials: Mixed Metals
Metal Color:  Various - silvery to brassy.  
Metal Finish:  Unpolished
Attachment Type:  Button shank or loop on the back for stringing or sewing.  
Additional Info: Our Turkoman buttons are sorted into packs that most resembled each other, but there will be some variation in size and design.
Country of Origin: Pakistan/Afghanistan
Condition: Vintage

This listing is for a packet of 50 pieces.

Photos are representative. You will receive similar pieces to those shown in the photos on this page in the quantity indicated. These are USED buttons that have previously adorned tribal clothing, accessories, household goods, animal trappings or other items.  Buttons are hand-assembled.  Since these are vintage pieces, they may have small flaws such as shanks being off center, small dents, or the edges may be bent or curled. 

A NOTE ON THE CONDITION OF TRIBAL ITEMS: Our tribal components are used pieces from from faraway lands. As used pieces they may be tarnished or otherwise reflect their prior lives as treasured tribal pieces. Please know that we strive to maintain the tribal allure of our items and therefore we do not clean or repair these pieces in any way. We leave that choice to the buyer, as each may prefer something different. This not only maintains the old, tribal look of each piece that our belly dance customers seek, but also preserves the value of a piece that cleaning might diminish.

Tips for using DIY tribal buttons:
Buttons seem to be the one costuming item that puzzles people more than any other!  Frequent questions are "How do you get these attached?" and "Do you need a special or curved needle?"  And sometimes we even hear "I just can't get them sewn on!"  The trick is to do as the tribal people themselves do!  The easiest way is to braid some yarn (available in ANY color to match costuming) into a long piece.  Then take a piece of cellophane tape and make an aglet (think shoelace end) on one end of the braid.  Using the taped end, thread the braided yarn through the shank on the back of the button.  Repeat with as many buttons as you need, then sew the braided yarn down in any row or pattern that you like!  Another tip that we sometimes use for adding a few individually spaced buttons is to drill a small hole on each side of it and simply sew through the holes.  Use a 1/16 inch drill bit and be very careful.  Sometimes buttons are thinner metal and holes can be punched with an awl.  Of course, if your buttons are already strung on a cord or rolled fabric, you can simply sew the cord down to your costuming project and be done!