This design motif is rooted in the New Testament, yet it does not appear in the Just Buttons Catalog series (1959–1979). It was commissioned more recently by a Japanese buyer who had noticed the recurring image of two fish in Bethlehem-area buildings and asked about its origin.
The motif traces back to the story often called the Feeding of the Five Thousand (or “Feeding the Multitude”). With only a small supply of loaves and two fish, Jesus fed the large crowd rather than sending them away to find food.
What collectors may love most is how the design captures the heart of the story: abundance in scarcity. The miracle isn’t only that everyone ate—it’s that the crowd was satisfied, without anyone feeling they’d gone without.
The carved piece was shipped without a button shank, a recently common practice in Bethlehem, West Bank. On this particular piece, a bar pin was attached in Japan, making it a brooch. Watch the video of the artist making a seven-point star piece.
