History

A rough, potted history of houndstooth in its many manifestations, in chronological order, and subject to much revision, albeit it is indeed thorough, and of which I can confidently assert that there is no such similar study. That said, the historical investigation (never mind other matters, such as the mathematical aspects) is still ongoing. And indeed, will likely remain so for many a year, so vast is the material to survey and the remit. And seemingly as ever with houndstooth, there are problems. As such, quite what to include as a history is open to debate; houndstooth seems to delight in vagaries! Perhaps the most debatable point here is that of houndstooth’s seemingly precursor source, the shepherd's check. Although strictly this is aside, and so arguably could be omitted, such practice, to my thinking at least, omits many interesting connections. This being so, I have this decided to include. And then there are other descriptions under which houndstooth masquerades, such as dogtooth, chicken’s foot, pied de poule and many others. And then where to begin with houndstooth itself? Although the term was introduced in 1925, there are the occasional earlier instances where this is shown without the later attribution. Although houndstooth was thus not ‘intended’, and so strictly not designed as such, nonetheless these (relatively few) instances remain of interest. And then how to define houndstooth itself? Although to the tyro it may be thought to be but a single instance, it is perhaps best to regard this as of at least two core types. And then one can even build on this. The authority Loe Feijs considers this best describes a family of designs.

Therefore, with such complexities as outlined above, one can only do one’s best; here is my humble offering. Thoughts, suggestions and corrections are welcomed.

360 and 100 BC, Gerum Cloak, Sweden

The oldest known occurrence of houndstooth is the so-called ‘Gerum Cloak’, a garment uncovered in a Swedish peat bog in 1920, named after the nearest town, and is dated to between 360 and 100 BC. The story is told over four pages (see links). Of course, the term houndstooth is applied here retrospectively. However, to my eye at least, the houndstooth pattern is not obvious, but as this has been analysed by fabric experts (in terms of the twill) it would indeed appear to be so.

3 AD, Spin-patterned wool twill, Denmark

Spin-patterned wool twill from Donbaek, north Jutland, Denmark, third century AD. From a reference in The Cambridge History of Western Textiles by David Jenkins, pp. 69, 96-97. Patricia Chung, p. 3, also quotes Jenkins. However, the houndstooth nature is not readily visible

5 AD, Thorsberg Cloak, Germany

A perhaps somewhat less than certain connection to houndstooth is that of what is titled the Thorsberg Cloak from 5CE, from Germany, and was discovered in a peat bog in the 1860s. This is described as of a check pattern. Reading up on this, there seem to be many other checked fabric findings of this period, and later years too. Likely this is just one of the relatively many checks of the time, not necessarily a shepherd's check, but I’ll include for the sake of thoroughness. I must admit, it’s all very convoluted and requires far more time to unravel than I am prepared to devote to the task. A good site for such historic check matters is:

http://awanderingelf.weebly.com/blog-my-journey/viking-textiles-a-deeper-look-at-plaids-stripes-and-checks

C. 230 AD, Falkirk Tartan

The ‘Falkirk Tartan’ is a woollen cloth fragment, now in the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, described as of a simple check design, c. 230 AD. This was taken from the mouth of a pot containing a hoard of Roman coins, part of the Falkirk Hoard found on 9 August 1933 in Bell's Meadow, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, some 400 metres north of the Antonine Wall. Workmen, including Robert Wallace, were levelling a small hill in the area, removing the sand, when one of them hit a Roman jar with his spade. It broke on lifting and a hard metallic cluster covered in green mould fell out along with the remains of a piece of cloth. The piece of cloth is assumed to have closed off the mouth of the red pottery vessel. Two fragments of this cloth were well enough preserved to show the weave. The largest piece measured approximately 4" square and gives a full repeat of the design. There were also loose threads and tiny fragments from the same textile. The wool was woven in two colours - dark brown and a pale greenish-brown shade. Although both are natural shades of the fleece from early breeds of sheep e.g. Soay - the greenish-brown shade was caused, no doubt, by contact with the coins found in it. The experts (not sourced), at the time the hoard was uncovered in 1933, agreed that the wool was of fine quality. Since the pieces preserved were too small and loose to distinguish accurately, there was nothing to show which was warp and which was weft. Having stripes both in warp and weft, forming checks, it could be loosely described as a tartan, although the weave was not the same as we understand clan fabrics nowadays. The hoard was discovered some seven feet below ground in a filled in pit or ditch and must have been buried at a time of emergency, one in which the owner died, and with him the knowledge of its location. Incidentally, after cleaning, some 1,925 silver coins were identified; others having been taken from the scene by workmen suggest that the original hoard was of around 2,000 coins, making it the largest Roman coin hoard ever found in Scotland. It’s ironic to think that, in the long term, the treasure someone once hoarded away turned out not to be the money, as important as that aspect is, but the cloth used to pad it. The check has been associated with shepherds of the Border region who were encouraged to move north after the Highland Clearances. Thus, a version of the ancient Falkirk Tartan is now also known as the ‘Border’ or ‘Border Riever’ tartan, all of which complicates matters as to definitions and attributions.
An open question is to whether this cloth is as an a strict houndstooth design; it is described in a multiplicity of ways, largely without thought as to exactness, of which as I have documented, is a perfect recipe for confusion and uncertainty. Therefore, determining this is not a straightforward task. Of course, given the passage of time, the cloth is also not in the best of conditions, and with colour fading too, all of which hinders in the task. Some analysis by others:

Kerstin Bergdalaspinnhus, a Swedish professional weaver, has examined this in relative depth (and recreated as an abstract weave), describing it as ‘a straightforward 2/2 broken-reversed twill, treadled straight’.

Geoff Bailey, a Falkirk archaeologist and keeper of local history, describes it as ‘it is of a type known as weft-woven (or dog-tooth) check in woollen fabric’.

The National Museum of Scotland is of a decidedly lightweight description, with ‘Woollen cloth fragment with a simple check design’.

Trudi Mann and Jim McGeorge, of a Falkirk connection ‘The Falkirk cloth is certainly the earliest herring-bone designs recorded for Scotland’.

For now at least, with such vagaries, pending further investigation, I refrain from describing this as houndstooth.

As ever, there is a whole host of open questions:

1. Where are the (presumed) 1933 references? The Falkirk Herald reports (2016): ‘Later on Robert [Wallace] told the Herald reporter: “Some of my workmates made a rush for the coins which broke away from the main cluster but I wrapped my jacket over them and carried them to the tool shed where I put them under lock and key.” From this, it would indeed appear to have appeared in the Herald of that year.

2. Are there newspaper reports earlier than those in 1977?  Somewhat curiously, references to this at the time of discovery are not to be found, although I am sure that there must be. Indeed, the term is largely ‘unofficial’, with only eight newspaper references found, the first as relatively late as 1977! Curiously, the earliest known newspaper reference is of 1977, albeit surprisingly not in Scotland as may otherwise naturally be thought, but rather oddly the US, with the Morgantown Morning Reporter Saturday, January 15, 1977! Only much later,  in 1988, in the Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday 12 April 1988 p. 21, was it discussed in Scotland. The first English reference is the Liverpool Echo Monday 26 May 1997, p. 34. It is not known in Australia, France, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

3. When, and by whom was the title given? The Herald reports (2016): Along with the coins the pot also contained an intriguing little piece of cloth which is often called the ‘Falkirk Tartan’ though when exactly it was given this name is not clear. Certainly, it was not even mentioned at the time of the discovery or for many years afterwards. As detailed above, the first known reference is of 1977, oddly in the US!

As ever, thoughts on any of the above are welcomed.

References

National Museum of Scotland
https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/collection-search-results/?item_id=134896

Kerstin Bergdalaspinnhus

https://oddweavings.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-falkirk-tartan.html

Trudi Mann and Jim McGeorge

http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfieldclub/bulletins/1997/falkirk_tartan.htm

Minor Falkirk Tartan reference in an piece on ‘The Oldest Tartans in (pre) History’

https://usakilts.com/blog/the-oldest-tartans.html

The Falkirk Herald. A modern day (2011 and 2016) look back on the discovery and Robert Wallace’s part in it.

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/falkirk-tartan-is-the-oldest-in-britain-dating-back-to-roman-times-1-3994264

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/falkirk-s-greatest-roman-discovery-1-4327903

C. 16th Century tea jar, after Sen no Rikyu, Japan

A purported houndstooth design is of a famous 16th-century tea jar from Japan, the rikyu-kando (houndstooth), said to have been named after the famous tea master, Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), the tea master who perfected the austere tea practice known as wabi-cha that continues to this day. The Japanese tea ceremony is also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha (抹茶), powdered green tea. The jar is registered to National Treasure, important cultural assets at Nezu museum in Tokyo. However, the image I have from the museum in not entirely satisfactory, in that a houndstooth design is. for me at least, this is not definitive. Indeed, far from it. However, this sighting was brought to my attention by Yoshiaki Araki, who found it catalogued as such, as well as another reference below I have found which seemingly confirms a houndstooth nature. As such, with reservation, I will thus take this at face value as a houndstooth design. 

References:

http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/collection/detail.php?id=40091 

1800s?

It is often said, with generally no attribution, that houndstooth checks may have appeared in the Scottish Lowlands of the 1800s: First created in the 1800s in the Scottish lowlands (not sourced)

Wikipedia gives the following quote and source, albeit not dated (not seen): … houndstooth checks may have originated in woven wool cloth of the Scottish Lowlands, but are now used in many other materials. Dunbar, John Telfer. The Costume of Scotland, London: Batsford, 1984.

This is apparently the only definitive reference, or would appear to be so. In general, similar designs, such as shepherd’s check, may instead being referred to.

Jonny Beardsall is more exact as to the place, although his quote is not sourced:

http://www.jonnybeardsall.com/?product=swinsty-cap

Houndstooth originated in the wool cloth of the Scottish lowlands and this was woven in Hawick in the Borders.

Beardsall is a hat designer, from England, and so it is doubtful if this is his own research.

Lilian M Raji gives

https://oureverydaylife.com/the-history-of-houndstooth-12214429.html

The black and white abstract checkerboard pattern with a vague resemblance to a chicken-foot print -- known in French as the pied de poule and in English as houndstooth -- first appeared in the 1800s in the Scottish lowlands. Then, it was called Shepherd's check or Dogtooth, and was mostly used on woven wool cloth outerwear for sheepherders. Today, the duo-tone pattern can be found on everything from tweed jackets to designer stiletto heels. In the 1920s, Scottish clans commandeered the notably original check from the sheepherders [sic] to claim for their tartan designs. And while Scottish clans are notoriously hostile about outsiders wearing the patterns of their tartans, houndstooth is the neutral Switzerland of the tartan world. The check pattern was never officially registered by any one clan, as is the tradition when a clan chooses a tartan to represent them.

However, this is not sourced. Likely this is not original research on Raji's part.

The whole situation is infuriatingly vague in the extreme. Frequently, the above Wikipedia quote is given by others without the all-important proviso word ‘may’, as if its appearance is for certain. Does anyone know more on all this in general? As alluded to elsewhere, without exact pictures, with so many variations, this is not exactly ideal.

For what it is worth, below I show a painting by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer 1802–1873, ‘A Highland Shepherd’ (not dated), which is sometimes associated with houndstooth claims of this period. It is said that Landseer first visited the Scottish Highlands in 1824, returning many times. However, it is clearly not houndstooth in the classic sense. 

1812, Shepherd’s Plaid (Shepherd's Check)

Caledonian Mercury Monday 30 March 1812 Ad and notice p. 3 (*shepherd’s plaid)
The first reference to Shepherd's Plaid in print.

A 200-year-old shepherd's plaid from the Heriot-Watt University Textile Collection, Edinburgh, Scotland is shown below. Of note (and indeed initial concern!) is the near new-like condition, but this is misleading; it is indeed 200 years old! These shawls were originally worn by shepherds in the Scottish Borders, and the traditional black and white check design was the original inspiration for tweed. 

1829, Shepherd’s Check

Northern Whig Saturday 23 September 1837 p. 3 Article (*shepherds’ check)

The first reference to Shepherd's Check in print.

1834, Charles Dickens in The Boarding House

He wore shepherd's-plaid inexpressibles, and used to look under all the ladies' bonnets as he walked along the streets. His manners and appearance reminded one of Orson.

‘Inexpressibles’ here is an archaic term for trousers, of which in Dickens’ time were not talked about in polite company! More exactly, these were very tight, usually knitted of silk, trousers - almost like today’s women’s leggings, designed to show off a gentleman’s muscular legs to best advantage.

1835, Shepherd’s Tartan

Inverness Courier Wednesday 29 April 1835 Article p. 3 (*shepherd tartan)
The first reference to Shepherd's Tartan in print.

1839, Border Tartan (Shepherd's Check)

Cumberland Pacquet, and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser Tuesday 7 May 1839 Article p. 3

The first reference to Border Tartan in print.

Terminology here is confusing.

1851, Border Check (Shepherds Check)

Illustrated London News Saturday 11 October 1851 Article p. 22
The first reference to Border Check in print.

C. 1861-1865 Carte de Visite

A most interesting historical instance of houndstooth is shown on a carte de visite, dated from the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), albeit the reference is not sourced, and is simply titled on Linda Powell’s Pinterest page (not on the photo itself, which seemingly bears no inscription) ‘Civil war era houndstooth’. The carte de visite, a French term, is a visiting card, abbreviated CdV, and was a type of small photograph which spread throughout Europe and then quickly to America and the rest of the world. Of course, at the time it was not known as houndstooth (it only became so titled in 1925). Does anyone know more about the background? Were such suits a rarity or relatively common? It is likely the former, as this is the only known instance. Or indeed any other informed comment.

Speculating, possibly the photo was taken in Baltimore. Another photo, seemingly showing the same man, but with a moustache and wearing other clothes is described:

‘A Civil War era portait (sic) of a man wearing riding boots and holding a broad brimmed hat, taken by Fischer & Bro. of Baltimore, Maryland. He is, unfortunately, unidentified, but his boots have some distinctive markings, the most visible of which are two five pointed stars (at left) - I'm not sure what, if anything, it is that these may signify.’

The image is one of many such pictures from the genre. It is most unlikely that the picture originates with her (and furthermore it appears elsewhere on the web, and so she may, in turn, have borrowed it), but has been taken from some specialised CdV page. Upon contacting her for more details, she did not respond.

Created 27 June 2024 (from previously established writings). Last Updated 27 June 2024