Button

Cashion Callaway, Button, n.d., original design 1974, pierced, soldered, oxidized and buffed silver, ⁷⁄₈ in. (2.3 cm.) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.147.5

Artwork Details

Title: Button
Artist: Cashion Callaway
Date: n.d., original design 1974
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: ⁷⁄₈ in. (2.3 cm.) diam.
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Mediums: silver
Mediums Description: pierced, soldered, oxidized and buffed silver
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Animal — reptile — lizard
Object Number: 1975.147.5
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1975.147.5

Artwork Description

This set of six buttons shows Cashion Callaway’s interest in Native American art and archaeology. Lizards are native creatures in the deserts of the Southwest, where Callaway conducts many of her archaeological excavations. The reptiles also appear in the petroglyphs at Lizard Cave in Southern California and in other ancient artifacts. The lizard is greatly respected in many southwestern cultures. Navajo stories, for example, emphasize the lizard’s perseverance and ability to keep ancient secrets.