The boutonnière viewed through the macro lens
"We were quite astonished when our last delivery of 'hand-flowered' boutonnières, that is, buttonhole flowers (or, if you prefer: Knopflochblumen) from the picturesque Sebnitz arrived: With the usual meticulousness and great love for detail, Mrs. Krüger crafted our new collection. A high art with a long tradition of 185 years. Our photographer was also quite impressed - and didn't hesitate for a moment to use his macro lens. See for yourself."
On April 7, 2019, it was time: all of Sebnitz celebrated 185 years of German artificial flowers. A beautiful occasion for us to visit the Saxon Switzerland, Elbe Sandstone Mountains, and Bastei. Always in the back of our minds: our new collection of handcrafted silk boutonnières, those buttonhole flowers that are crafted here by skilled hands with much tradition and knowledge for us. After the success of our first collection, we were tempted a few weeks earlier to place an order with the addition "surprise us." So we let ourselves be surprised on-site and once again be inspired by the beautiful art of silk flowers. The order followed immediately, the delivery shortly thereafter - and here they are, our new buttonhole flowers from Saxony.
Looked at up close
Eccentric: the scabious as a silk object in the buttonhole
This time, however, photographed up close by our photographer who brought along not only his Canon 5D Mark III (which he affectionately calls his camera) but also an amazing macro lens with the beautiful name Canon 24-70 f4. Since then, we see our boutonnieres with completely new eyes, for example, the Scabiosa (Scabiosa japonica) from our collection shown above in the picture. Or below, the Hecken-Rose (Rosa Corymbifera).
Artful Miniatures: Filigree Flower Stamps
The beauty also lies in the detail here.
In the House of Deutsche Kunstblume Sebnitz, which we had not visited for the first time, we now discovered a completely new craft for us. We already report on the history of the production of silk lapel flowers on our overview page. However, the fact that the interior of such a boutonnière is so intricate in the manufacturing process surprised us greatly: You enter the room and meet a young employee who is able to create thousands of different flower stamens (pistils) that are deceptively real according to botanically precise criteria. On a large, antique-looking wooden wheel, a firm thread is wound, which runs through a glue bath, solidifies, and is then cut into matchstick-like sticks. Now coloring is done, and a gypsum-containing mass (Attention: secret recipe) is used. This is colored, dipped, waited, turned, dried - and this is partly done in several work steps over hours. Here particularly beautiful in macro photo to recognize: the beautiful pistils with their natural details of our Boutonnière Mandelblüte (prunus dulcis). But above all the botany and craftsmanship, we do not want to forget that such a buttonhole flower is meant to adorn the lapel of a well-dressed gentleman. And it does. Completely true to detail.
Diversity and Elegance in the Buttonhole
"Stamens, silk petals, and bud - all handmade"
Well, not everyone is a hobby botanist, but it is somewhat difficult to escape the natural beauty of the plant world. So why not wear such a pledge of nature in your buttonhole as a boutonnière? Ideally, lifelike in silk, as these specimens retain their freshness much longer, and well-dressed men have shown us how. Moreover, a flower in the buttonhole sparks conversation with strangers, and conversations at the bar and buffet that just won't get going are a thing of the past. For each lapel flower in our collection, we have included a short text about its origin and history. The language of flowers holds some surprises. As you browse through our silk flower collection for men, you will also come across macro photos here and there. Perhaps we can inspire you with our enthusiasm for an old craft that has been practiced in the same place since 1834.
Author: Andreas Thenhaus
Photos: Herr von Welt
More on the topic:
Artificial Flowers 1905 - The History of the Boutonnière
