Pocahontas’s Gold Buttons

Pocahontas, daughter of the Virginia Indian paramount chief Powhatan and wife of English colonist John Rolfe, is reputed to have worn these gold buttons when she was presented to the court of King James I during her stay in London in 1616 and 1617. According to Rolfe family lore, these buttons along with a pair of earrings were preserved from Pocahontas's time in England. The fine craftsmanship of the buttons indicates they were made in Europe, as jewelers in America were not yet sophisticated enough to create them.