Pierrot and Pierrette Earrings - Once Upon a Button Limited Edition

One of the most beloved Victorian-era picture buttons, Pierrot and Pierrette, can be explicitly dated to 1886 when they appeared in the spring edition of Ridley’s Fashion magazine.

Read more: Once Upon a Time - Victorian-Era Picture Buttons, Buttonology Blog.

Also known as True Love, this button depicts the stories of brother and sister Pierrot and Pierrette, the main characters in a popular French pantomime. Pierrot et Pierrette were siblings and clowns who lived in a caravan with their grandfather, the former ringmaster of a circus. They earned a living by singing in the streets.

Like many other stories before and after, this button depicts a tale of unrequited love. The sad clown Pierrot is madly in love with Columbine, but she only has eyes for the mischievous clown named Harlequin. Pierrot and Pierrette were characters in a popular French pantomime, about a sad clown named Pierrot who loved Columbine. She sadly preferred the mischievous clown Harlequin.   

In this piece:

• Small stamped brass buttons, with steel crescent, circa 1887
• Czech glass bead drops
• Brass-plated pewter settings cast today in the USA
• Nickel-free and lead-free brass lever-back ear wires
• Length is 2 ½”

Shop Collection: Limited Edition