Pankou (Frog)

Floral pankou, typically used oncheongsam,China
Type	Fastening made of fabric
Material	Diverse, including silk
Place of origin	At least theSong dynasty (960–1279 AD),China

Afrog orpankou (simplified Chinese:盘扣;traditional Chinese:盤扣;pinyin:pánkòu), also calledChinese frog closure anddecorative toggle,^[a] is a type of ornamental garment closure. Made frombraiding, cord, fabric, or covered wire, they consist of adecorative knot button (aChinese button knot for a traditionalChinese style^[6]) and a loop. Its purpose is to fasten garments while providing a decorative element on the clothing.^[1] It can be used to fasten openings edge-to-edge, avoiding an overlap.^[1] It is especially used on thecheongsam, where the pankou represents the cultural essence of the dress.^[7]

The frog was first developed inChina; the origin of its later spread, into Europe and beyond, is uncertain.^[6] Loop-and-knot fasteners may have developed independently in other cultures. InWestern Europe, military uniforms adopted a similar decorative fastener from Hungarian Hussars (who possibly had adapted them from earlier Chineseor earlier Ottoman styles,^[8] or may have independently developed an analogous fastener) which then began to appear on the civilian clothing of both genders, such asovercoats,spencers, andpelisses.^[1][9][10]

Frog fasteners are usual to garments with Chinese-influenced design, such as a shirt or coat with amandarin 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.^[2]

Interlocking metal zimukou from the Ming dynasty, the precursor to the fabric frog

The frog is the end-product of thousands years of traditionalChinese knotting craft, which is itself rooted in theLào zi culture.^[3][11] As a form of fastener, the frog first appeared on traditionalChinese clothing,^[1][12] and can be traced back to theSong dynasty when fabric was braided intobraid buckles to create the loop and thebutton knot.^[13]

The braided buckles of the Song dynasty continued to be used in theYuan dynasty.^[13] However, in theMing dynasty, interlocking buckles known aszimukou (Chinese:子母扣;lit. 'child mother button'),[14] which could be made out of gold and silver, first appeared and came in various shapes and styles.^[13] Thezimukou also became one of the favourite fashion accessory items of the Ming dynasty Chinese women.^[13]

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 ofbutterflies and flower (蝶采花); the wishes for a rich and wealthy life with the use ofdouble silver ingots (双银锭), and to express wishes for a long and healthy life with the theme of "Furong Flowers andShou (芙蓉捧寿), which uses Furong flowers and the Chinese charactershou (壽), as it is ahomonym for the Chinese charactersfushou (福壽) which can literally be translated as 'prosperity andlongevity'.^[13]

The development of thezimukou 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, theMandarin collar) along with a variety ofduijinyi (upper garment with central front closure) which uses the frog on the front over the succeeding centuries.^[13]

The frog, like its Ming dynasty predecessor, thezimukou, 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 includeauspicious symbols, such aspomegranates, which represent fertility, and the Chinese charactershou (壽).^[3]

Frogs and frogging became an important decorative feature on military uniforms from the 17th–19th centuries.^[15] This was particularly evident for prestigious regiments, especiallycavalry orhussars, and gave rise to the German term for frogging in general,Husarentressen. Thesedolman jackets were tight-fitting and dominated by extensive frogging, often in luxurious materials such as gold, silver or brass metallic cording or brocades.^[16] With the wide-reaching campaigns ofNapoleon, 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.^[1][17]

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 topostal deliverers,telegraph boys andhotel pages, the frogging cordage would be retained as a decoration but there would be no corresponding toggle or opening with it.^[18]

In theUnited States, the frog fasteners were adopted during theWar of 1812; 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.^[1]

The frog or pankou is composed of two parts: aChinese button knot or otherdecorative 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.^[3]

Ready-made frogs are available for purchase, but the range of styles is generally narrow.^[6] Sewers may make their own, in a variety of styles, customizing them for their end use.^[6] Braid, cord-filled bias tubing, or fabric-covered wire is used to fashion the customized frogs or pankou. They can be made fromself-fabric to match, but many are chosen to be a contrasting colour: they serve as decorative structural elements on the garment.^[6]

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 byhand-sewing. The frog is then stitched onto a garment, usually by hand. When a fabric tube is used, the fabric is cut on thebias. This allows the fabric tube to remain smooth and flex easily when bent into curves.^[6]

Variety of pankou compiled in a book

Frogs are now key elements incheongsam representing its "soul" and provide a distinctive Chinese character to the dress;^[3] they are typically sewn at the centre of themandarin collar and along the diagonal slanted (S-shaped) opening.^[5] They are also used in other garments, such astangzhuang,gua (jacket) including those used in thequngua, and thechangshan, etc.

The frogs which are used in the making of thecheongsam, are typically made fromsilk or from the same materials as the dress.^[5] To create the more elaborately shaped buttons, a method calledwiring is used to construct the desired shape.^[5]

Frogs differ in shape and elaboration:^[5]

Pankou in Chinese clothing

Straight pankou sewed to acheongsam

Straight pankou sewed to agua

Elaborate form of floral pankou used as a decorative fastener in cheongsam.

The floral frog can further be divided into other categories based on shape:

The frog used in the Beijing-stylecheongsam are typically handmade by skilled artisans; the process of their making is complex and can take up several days of work.^[7] 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.^[7] 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.^[7]

• Button
• Celtic knot
• Austrian knot

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• Textile closures

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