Brooch
The agate button with a silver boss that constitutes the center of this brooch was originally among a larger set of buttons owned by George Washington. Following his death in 1799, his agate buttons joined many others removed from his clothing and preserved by family members and admirers. It was likely the Washington's great-great-granddaughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee (1808-1873), who set this button in gold for proud display.
See also buttons, W-2343/A-D, W-943, and W-2344/A&B.
Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 265.
Sotheby's (Firm), Washington-Custis Silver, Property of a Direct Descendant, 1774-1779: New York, May 19, 2005, Sales Catalogue No8142 (New York: Sotheby's, 2005), 40.