Frog (fastening)
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A frog or pankou (), also called Chinese frog closure and decorative toggle, is a type of ornamental garment closure. Made from braiding, cord, fabric, or covered wire, they consist of a decorative knot button (a Chinese button knot for a traditional Chinese style) and a loop. Its purpose is to fasten garments while providing a decorative element on the clothing. It can be used to fasten openings edge-to-edge, avoiding an overlap. It is especially used on the
cheongsam ''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen ...
, where the pankou represents the cultural essence of the dress. The frog was first developed in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
; the origin of its later spread, into Europe and beyond, is uncertain. Loop-and-knot fasteners may have developed independently in other cultures. In
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
, military uniforms adopted a similar decorative fastener from Hungarian Hussars (who possibly had adapted them from earlier Chinese or earlier Ottoman styles, or may have independently developed an analogous fastener) which then began to appear on the civilian clothing of both genders, such as
overcoat An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most often used in winter when warmth is more important. They are sometimes confused with or referred to as #T ...
s, spencers, and
pelisse A pelisse was originally a short fur-trimmed jacket which hussar light-cavalry soldiers from the 17th century onwards usually wore hanging loose over the left shoulder, ostensibly to prevent sword cuts. The name also came to refer to a fashiona ...
s. Frog fasteners are usual to garments with Chinese-influenced design, such as a shirt or coat with a mandarin collar, which features frog fasteners at the shoulder and down the front of the garment. In the design of a garment, ''frogging'' is the use of braided frog fasteners as a detail of the overall design of the garment.


History


Development in China

The frog is the end-product of thousands years of traditional
Chinese knotting Chinese knotting, also known as (), is a Chinese folk art with ties to Buddhism and Taoism. A Chinese knot is made from a single length of cord that is woven into different shapes, with each shape having a symbolic meaning. The most common color ...
craft, which is itself rooted in the culture. As a form of fastener, the frog first appeared on traditional Chinese clothing, and can be traced back to the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
when fabric was braided into
braid A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...
buckles to create the loop and the button knot. The braided buckles of the Song dynasty continued to be used in the
Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
. However, in the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, interlocking buckles known as (), which could be made out of gold and silver, first appeared and came in various shapes and styles. The also became one of the favourite fashion accessory items of the Ming dynasty Chinese women. These interlocking buckles were not only functional as garments fasteners or as garment ornaments; they also expressed and symbolized the wishes and inspirations of its wearer, such as the longing of a better life; the wishes for a sweet and loving marital relationship through the theme of ''butterflies and flower'' (); the wishes for a rich and wealthy life with the use of ''double silver ingots'' (), and to express wishes for a long and healthy life with the theme of "Furong Flowers and " (), which uses Furong flowers and the Chinese character 《》, as it is a
homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either; '' homographs''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or '' homophones''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciat ...
for the Chinese characters 《》which can literally be translated as '
prosperity Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health. Competing notions ...
and
longevity Longevity may refer to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas ''life expectancy'' is defined Statistics, statistically as the average number of years remaining at a given age. For example, a population's life expectancy at birth ...
'. The development of the of the Ming dynasty had a significant impact on the history of Chinese fashion as they did not only laid the foundation of the subsequent usage of a large number and variety of frog but also led to the emergence and the popularity of the Chinese high-standing collar (and its derivative, the Mandarin collar) along with a variety of (upper garment with central front closure) which uses the frog on the front over the succeeding centuries. The frog, like its Ming dynasty predecessor, the , also come in all kind of styles and shapes and continue to retain traditional Chinese designs and cultural meanings rooted deeply in traditional Chinese culture; these designs include auspicious symbols, such as pomegranates, which represent fertility, and the Chinese character 《》).


Styles from Europe

Frogs and frogging became an important decorative feature on military uniforms from the 17th–19th centuries. This was particularly evident for prestigious regiments, especially
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
or
hussar A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...
s, and gave rise to the German term for frogging in general, . These
dolman A dolman is either a military shirt, or a jacket decorated with braiding, first worn by Hungarian hussars. The word is of Turkish origin, and after being adopted into Hungarian, has propagated to other languages. The garment was worn by peasants ...
jackets were tight-fitting and dominated by extensive frogging, often in luxurious materials such as gold, silver or brass metallic cording or brocades. With the wide-reaching campaigns of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, the French military was in extensive contact with different cultures and their styles. Observing the use of frog closures in the Hungarian military and other eastern cultures, the French Military adopted them for own military garments. The French were influential in the spread of frogging throughout Europe and into the Americas. The frogging was often far more than was necessary for fastening. In some cases, it even became non-functional, with a concealed opening beneath it and the original jacket opening becoming a false detail. By the later 19th century, for lower-grade uniforms down to postal deliverers, telegraph boys and hotel pages, the frogging cordage would be retained as a decoration but there would be no corresponding toggle or opening with it. In the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, the frog fasteners were adopted during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
; however when the army regulations tried to promote a less European look, it was decided that the elaborate and complex frog fasteners would be replaced with more simple cotton cord loops.


Production

The frog or pankou is composed of two parts: a Chinese button knot or other decorative knot (or even a toggle) on one side; and a loop attached on the opposite side, through which the knot is passed and which holds it in place. The knot is perceived as the male element, while its paired loop is considered the female. Ready-made frogs are available for purchase, but the range of styles is generally narrow. Sewers may make their own, in a variety of styles, customizing them for their end use. Braid, cord-filled bias tubing, or fabric-covered wire is used to fashion the customized frogs or pankou. They can be made from self-fabric to match, but many are chosen to be a contrasting colour: they serve as decorative structural elements on the garment. Frogs can be made by looping and interlocking the cording or fabric tube into the desired design, then securing the places where the cords touch by hand-sewing. The frog is then stitched onto a garment, usually by hand. When a fabric tube is used, the fabric is cut on the
bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is inaccurate, closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individ ...
. This allows the fabric tube to remain smooth and flex easily when bent into curves.


Modern pankou in Chinese culture


Use

Frogs are now key elements in
cheongsam ''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen ...
representing its "soul" and provide a distinctive Chinese character to the dress; they are typically sewn at the centre of the mandarin collar and along the diagonal slanted (S-shaped) opening. They are also used in other garments, such as , (jacket) including those used in the , and the , etc.


Design and construction

The frogs which are used in the making of the
cheongsam ''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen ...
, are typically made from
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
or from the same materials as the dress. To create the more elaborately shaped buttons, a method called ''wiring'' is used to construct the desired shape. Frogs differ in shape and elaboration: The floral frog can further be divided into other categories based on shape: The frog used in the Beijing-style
cheongsam ''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen ...
are typically handmade by skilled artisans; the process of their making is complex and can take up several days of work. It can typically take up to 26 procedures for the silk to be turned into eligible strips of fabric which can then be turned into the fastening. These procedures include brushing silk four times with a paste to harden it, as well as the cutting of the hardened silk into strips, the stitching of the silk strips before the wiring procedure with copper wire, and the ironing of the silk strips under high temperature as its final stage.


See also

*
Button A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or ...
*
Celtic knot Celtic knots (, , , ) are a variety of knots and Style (visual arts)#Stylization, stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, used extensively in the Celtic style of Insular art. These knots are most known for their adapta ...
* Austrian knot


Notes


References


External links

* {{Clothing materials and parts Chinese traditional clothing Textile closures *