23 Codelite buttons

A collection of twenty-three buttons made from Codelite, a natural material derived from casein, a milk protein. Traditionally cured and hardened in sheets or rods, casein was successfully used in button making from the early twentieth century but production ceased in the 1960s/1970s due to the popularity of polyester. In 2018, button makers Courtney and Co launched a new range in this material after acquiring button turning and finishing machines from James Grove & Sons Ltd, who went into administration in 2012. The company is reviving button-making in the UK using traditional techniques as well as new technology, from natural and environmentally-friendly materials in heritage patterns. The company purchase the milk casein from an Italian manufacturer, who cures the order and cuts the blanks. Courtney & Co then turn/carve the pattern before polishing and dyeing them in-house. 33kg of milk is used to make 1kg of Codelite in a process that sees the milk protein harden at a rate of 1mm/week. Codelite can be manufactured with different effects, dyed and polished to create a button that is robust, washable, bio-degradable and sustainable. This collection includes four cream coloured large blanks, six cream small blanks, two cream large buttons, one pearlised (style: Malmesbury 409), six medium buttons in cream, sea-green, lilac, navy, pink and lime-green (style: Cornbury 965), and five small white buttons (style: Cornbury 965). The dimensions given are for the larger sized buttons.

AIBDC : 009099