The London Lounge

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? i.e. The button or the buttonhole

I just read an interesting article about the history of the button.

An excerpt from the article:

Over 3,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, the first buttons made their debut. While recognisably buttons, Bronze Age man didn't fasten anything with them, but simply wore them for decoration. The dandies of the day wore buttons fashioned from bone, horn, wood, metal or even seashells; but, in the absence of a buttonhole, were they anything more than just sew-on brooches?

At the time, man used belts, pins or brooches to fasten his clothes; even in extreme weather there was no practical use for a button. So the button just existed, waiting for the next big clothing innovation.

If you are in any doubt as to the importance of buttons in the 17th Century you could do worse than check out la Guerre des Boutons— not the film, but the actual war. French tailors started the war and won the first battle with the use of thread buttons. These were basically little balls of thread which worked admirably as buttons. The button-makers were furious, and in response they lobbied the government to help them. A law was passed and the war was won with the tailors being fined for the production of the thread buttons. Not satisfied with this, however, the button-makers went on to insist on the rigorous enforcement of the new law. They wanted homes and wardrobes searched and even suggested the arrest and fining of people for wearing clothing with thread buttons. It is unclear how far they got with their demands, beyond the authorities fining the tailors for their ingenuity.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A23623616

After approx. 35 centuries from the invention of the button humankind invented the buttonhole. I think they had more important things to invent, discover, learn etc.

I wonder who should be fined for the invention of the silk knot cufflinks (also a kind of button, after all)

I had heard from Hungarian friends that the Magyars introduced the button to Europe from their Central Asian homeland in the 9th century (as well as the stirrup, the most important article of military technology for 500 years.)

I believe buttons were also rather rare in East Asia until various waves of nomadic horsemen introduced them. Indeed the frog buttons that many associate with Chinese clothing are argued to be more closely associated with the Manchu nomads who conquered China in the 17th century.

A nomadic warrior needs great freedom of movement to wield a sword and use a bow and arrow without hindrance, so tunics cut relatively close to the body and with moderately slim sleeves would be needed, fastened by buttons. Buttons were cheaper than metal brooches or pins, and could be improvised by a horseman in the field from pieces of wood or bone if one came loose.

Interestingly, the Japanese aristocracy (whose dress was strongly influenced by ancient Chinese dress) rejected use of buttons until the 19th century, instead choosing to continue wearing various garments that cross over generously at the front and are fastened with a sash. The various nomadic tribes that plagued China for three millenia never managed to successfully colonise Japan, so perhaps the Japanese didn't see the need to imitate militarily inferior barbarians sartorially.

Costi wrote:I wonder who should be fined for the invention of the silk knot cufflinks (also a kind of button, after all)

The monkeys of course. (The knot from the silk knot cufflinks is a.k.a. the monkey's fist knot)

akaSmith wrote:

Costi wrote:I wonder who should be fined for the invention of the silk knot cufflinks (also a kind of button, after all)

The monkeys of course. (The knot from the silk knot cufflinks is a.k.a. the monkey's fist knot)

Ha! I didn't expect THAT! Well, I don't want to be the one to declare war on them...

What about this monkey here and the art of the Japanese netsuke - also a kind of button, if you think about it, but without a buttonhole?

Well, I don't want to be the one to declare war on them...

Neither do I.

What about this monkey here and the art of the Japanese netsuke - also a kind of button, if you think about it, but without a buttonhole?

I just used Google Images to search for netsuke and what can I say? So many beautiful miniature sculptures. Now I want one.