Victorian Leo Popper Glass Button set in Filigree Sterling Silver Ring Size 7-1/2

Antique Leo Popper Buttons

Leo Popper & Sons, established in 1880 in New York City, became famous for glass buttons produced using traditional Bohemian techniques that avoided modern machinery in favor of hand-pressed artistry. Leo Popper was born in Bohemia in 1831. He immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1800s, opening Leo Popper & Sons in NYC. The Poppers never used machines — buttons were made using heavy iron hand presses and expensive stock molds, ensuring each piece felt substantial and artisan-made. They are most famous for colorful glass featuring “rainbow metallic inclusions” or “gorgeous veins of silver” running through them. Leo Popper and son repaired the torch for the Statue of Liberty, and beyond buttons, the firm provided glass for L. C. Tiffany & Co. and contributed decorative glass to landmarks like the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.