Check (also checker, Brit: chequer) is a pattern of modified stripes consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines which form squares. The pattern typically contains two colours where a single checker (that is a single square within the check pattern) is surrounded on all four sides by a checker of a different colour.
The pattern is commonly placed onto garments and is, in certain social contexts, applied to clothing which is worn to signify cultural or political affiliations. Such is the case with check in
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
and on the
keffiyeh
The keffiyeh or kufiya ( ar, كُوفِيَّة, kūfīyah, relating to Kufa, link=no), also known in Arabic as a ghutrah (), shemagh ( '), (), in Kurdish as a Shemagh ''(''شهماغ'')'' or Serwîn (سهروین) and in Persian, as a ...
.
The pattern's all-pervasiveness and simple layout has lent to its practical usage in scientific experimentation and observation, optometry, technology (hardware and software), and as a symbol for responders to associate meaning with.
Etymology
The word is derived from the
ancient Persian
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
word ' which means "king" in the Sasanian game of
Shatranj
Shatranj ( ar, شطرنج; fa, شترنج; from Middle Persian ''chatrang'' ) is an old form of chess, as played in the Sasanian Empire. Its origins are in the Indian game of chaturaṅga. Modern chess gradually developed from this game, as i ...
; an old form of
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
which is played on a squared board of alternating coloured checkers. It is more specifically derived from the expression ''
shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
mat'', "the king is dead", which in modern chess parlance is referred to "
check-mate". The word entered the
French language
French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
as ' in the eleventh century, thence into English.
History
The incorporation of the checkerboard pattern in man-made objects has no definitive origin as the pattern has existed in assorted forms with multiple variations across continents and time periods. There are few known instances of its import into the regions and cultures in which it is featured. Its design and incorporation by humans into pattern-making and
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
precedes its common etymological characterisation and derivation from the word ''shah'' in chess; the language conventions from which the contemporary English word 'check' is extracted are younger than some appearances of the pattern or its variations. Human uses for check predate its notable usage on the checkerboard in the board game
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
, which was developed in its
chaturanga
Chaturanga ( sa, चतुरङ्ग; ') is an ancient Indian strategy game. While there is some uncertainty, the prevailing view among chess historians is that it is the common ancestor of the board games chess (European), xiangqi (Chinese), ...
iteration in the late 6th or early 7th century AD. This is illustrated by the comparative age of weaving which creates a checkered pattern as a byproduct of its process, as weaving is estimated to have originated in the
neolithic period
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
or approximately 10000 BC.
Weavers have long produced checked patterns, but fashion trends and its level of ubiquitousness vary over time. Check's variant
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
appears on the 3000-year-old mummy the
Cherchen Man Cherchen Man or Chärchän Man or Ur-David is the modern name given to a mummy found in the town Cherchen, located in current Xinjiang region of China. The mummy is a member of the group known as Tarim mummies. His naturally-mummified remains were ...
.
The checkerboard pattern has also been identified in
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
pottery and
ancient Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one ...
.
Check may not have a single foundation specific to a practice, region or type of material because it appears within nature and thus can be imitated and adapted. The
checkered garter snake
The checkered garter snake (''Thamnophis marcianus'') is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Etymology
The spe ...
,
chequered skipper and
cleridae
Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.
Cleridae have many niches and fe ...
, commonly known as checkered beetles exemplify natural occurrences of the pattern which have emerged without human interference or stimuli.
![Hiorns Tower, Arundel Park (geograph 4042908)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Hiorns_Tower%2C_Arundel_Park_%28geograph_4042908%29.jpg)
Check appears in architecture as checkerwork (also chequer-work or
diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, and silverwork. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.
Etymology
For the full etymolog ...
): a laying of bricks or tiles of two different materials or colours in an arrangement that, when finished, resembles the checkered pattern. This design was popularly used across England and in nearby regions in
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
es and small houses following the 16th-century
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. Notable instances of its usage in England includes its appearance on the exterior of Hiorne Tower and above the windows in
Westminster Hall
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
.
Scotland
The pattern, in its tartan variation, is prominent in Scottish garment designs and gained notoriety from the 16th century onwards among
Scottish Highlanders
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
. The design was introduced by the
Celts
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...
before it became a staple of
highland dress
Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. It is often characterised by tartan (''plaid'' in North America). Specific designs of shirt, jacket, bodice and headwear may also be worn along with clan ...
. Following the
battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
, wearing check or tartan was banned through the
Dress Act 1746
The Dress Act 1746 was part of the Act of Proscription which came into force on 1 August 1746 and made wearing "the Highland Dress" — including the kilt — illegal in Scotland as well as reiterating the Disarming Act. The Jacobite Risings bet ...
in an attempt to control Scottish clans who supported the
Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Franci ...
. In the 1930s the checkerboard pattern was incorporated into the design of Scotland's police uniform which was later nicknamed
Sillitoe tartan
Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kin ...
and adopted as a police symbol globally.
South India
Checkered stripes were prominent in textile designs around the
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coastal region of the Indian subcontinent, bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an ...
in the 16th-17th Century.
According to 17th Century trade records, the use of the check pattern in ornamentation became widespread across South India.
Numerous paintings in the
Veerabhadra temple display figures who dress in checkered cotton and show the prominence of the check pattern in traditional dress.
Fashion
![Afternoon dress MET 43](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Afternoon_dress_MET_43.220.5a-b_front_CP1.jpg)
Check and its variant patterns have been commonly employed as fabric and textile designs used in the making of garments. After WW2, the popularity of check in high fashion increased as it was featured in the linings of
Burberry
Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessories, ...
coats and worn by celebrities including
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
. From 1910 to the late 1970s it was implemented into a variety of dresses manufactured by
Nelly Don, which Mikyoung Whang suggests, reflected the shifting role of women in the public eye as it offered an alternative to the
Mother Hubbard house-dress. The check pattern is often associated with formalwear as it, or its variants, are commonly implemented in dresses, skirts, suits, and coats.
Variations
Buffalo check or buffalo plaid has black hashes on a red background. In the United States, it got its name around 1850 when a designer at the
Woolrich
Woolrich, Inc. ( ) is an American outdoor clothing company that originated in Woolrich, Pennsylvania in 1830.
History
Woolrich, Inc., founded in 1830 by John Rich and Daniel McCormick, is the oldest manufacturer of outdoor wear in the United ...
mill at
Chatham's Run in Pennsylvania (who owned a herd of
buffalo) copied a pattern known as "Rob Roy" in Scotland, named after the folk hero
Rob Roy MacGregor
Robert Roy MacGregor ( gd, Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair; 7 March 1671 – 28 December 1734) was a Scottish outlaw, who later became a folk hero.
Early life
Rob Roy was born in the Kingdom of Scotland at Glengyle, at the head of Loch Katrine, a ...
. "No. 5310-402 in the Woolrich middleweight fabric collection" became associated with
lumberjack
Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...
s, as those nearby in the Pennsylvania woods were the main customers for the woollen shirts that used it. It became popular in mainstream fashion in the United States in the 1990s and 2010s.
Windowpane plaid is a pattern of large rectangles or squares in a colour contrasting with the main colour.
Ska
![Ska_Patrol_Foto_Bjørn_Joachimsen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Ska_Patrol_Foto_Bj%C3%B8rn_Joachimsen.jpg)
The black-and-white checkerboard pattern is heavily featured within the music genre and subculture
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
and the
mod subculture
Mod, from the word modernist, is a subculture that began in London and spread throughout Great Britain and elsewhere, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries, and continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and ...
. The popularisation of this pattern in ska dress is attributed to the racial roots of the genre due to its symbolic representation of the
two-tone era; a ska subgenre that emerged in the late 70s and popularised in the United Kingdom in the late 80s. This is because the black and white squares in a check pattern were seen as fusing black and white culture; a notion that constituted the basis for much of the two-tone era of ska music. Some of the most popular garments worn to represent ska are checkerboard
Vans shoes
Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
, check fedoras, check overalls
and check ties.
Symbolism
Check's notability as a distinctive and salient pattern has made it a commonly used
signifier
In semiotics, signified and signifier ( French: ''signifié'' and ''signifiant'') stand for the two main components of a sign, where ''signified'' pertains to the "plane of content", while ''signifier'' is the "plane of expression". The idea was ...
even compared with more pervasive descriptions like colour. The pattern check's ubiquity causes concepts or
signifiant
In semiotics, signified and signifier (French language, French: ''signifié'' and ''signifiant'') stand for the two main components of a Sign (semiotics), sign, where ''signified'' pertains to the "plane of content", while ''signifier'' is the "p ...
s and
sign
A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or me ...
s associated with the pattern to be contingent on contextual inferences. In trademark law (specifically trademark law concerning but not limited to the American legal system) this ubiquity is recognised, as the commercial uses of check are limited because check connotes identifiable meanings that "exist beyond that of particular products".
Keffiyeh
![Abu Ghasam Ammarin Bedouin at Petra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Abu_Ghasam_Ammarin_Bedouin_at_Petra.jpeg)
Check is popularly implemented into the
keffiyeh
The keffiyeh or kufiya ( ar, كُوفِيَّة, kūfīyah, relating to Kufa, link=no), also known in Arabic as a ghutrah (), shemagh ( '), (), in Kurdish as a Shemagh ''(''شهماغ'')'' or Serwîn (سهروین) and in Persian, as a ...
, a
headdress
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, de ...
worn throughout the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. Checkered keffiyeh are most commonly worn in the colours red-and-white and black-and-white but are also available in other variants. Both favoured colours of the checkered variants of keffiyeh are popular in
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
as a result of the design's import into the region following the
1948 Palestinian exodus
In 1948 Estimates of the Palestinian Refugee flight of 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians, Palestinian Arabs – about half of prewar Mandatory Palestine, Palestine's Arab population – Causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, were expelled ...
.
Each variation of a keffiyeh holds different symbolic meanings based on its pattern and colour although there is no underlying, universal symbolism to the Keffiyeh. Rather, its interpreted meaning is geographically, culturally and situationally dependent.
One iteration of the Keffiyeh is referred to as the
Palestinian keffiyeh
The Palestinian ''keffiyeh'' ( ar, كوفية, koofiyyeh) is a chequered black and white scarf that is usually worn around the neck or head. This ''keffiyeh'' has become a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, dating back to the 1936–1939 Arab ...
which commonly appears in a black-and-white check iteration; they also appear in different colours including red-and-white and non-checkered patterns. It was traditionally associated with rural farmers who worked under
Ottoman rule
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
but became a signifier of
Palestinian nationalism
Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine.de Waart, 1994p. 223 Referencing Article 9 of ''The Palestinian National Charter of 1968' ...
following the
1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine
The 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, later known as The Great Revolt (''al-Thawra al- Kubra'') or The Great Palestinian Revolt (''Thawrat Filastin al-Kubra''), was a popular nationalist uprising by Palestinian Arabs in Mandatory Palestine a ...
.
It has maintained prominence throughout the rest of the 20th and into the 21st century and is colloquially cited as Palestine's "unofficial flag" and a Palestinian political symbol.
The red-and-white check keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian
Marxists
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectic ...
but is also a common pattern with different symbolic connotations outside of this specific group. Its popularity in
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
is caused by its connection to the nations heritage and connection with
Jordanian Bedouin history and fashion.
Freemasonry
![PK Karachi asv2020-02 img76 Freemasons Lodge Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/PK_Karachi_asv2020-02_img76_Freemasons_Lodge_Building.jpg)
Sites of
Masonic lodge
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
s commonly utilise checkered carpeting, tiling,
parquetry
Parquet (; French for "a small compartment") is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect in flooring.
Parquet patterns are often entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges—but may contain curves. T ...
or other types of flooring as the ground upon which Masonic rituals and lectures occur.
This flooring is often referred to as a
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
pavement, but glass and ceramic tiles are not necessary components of the design. The design of this flooring consists of a black-and-white checkerboard pattern surrounded by a border or skirt of tessellating triangles, which too alternate between the colours black and white. Whilst the checkered flooring is not a part of conventional
Freemasonry's specialised symbols or iconography, it is commonly utilised as a non-Masonic symbol within ceremonies, rituals and rites because of its connection to medieval
stonemason
Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...
craftsmanship.
Checkered flooring has become a
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
sign of
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
and signifies some member's connection to biblical parables and morals. It also links to the lectures and teachings pertaining to the construction of
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by th ...
. The idea of the pattern check, as a symbol within Freemasonry, is thought to have originated from
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
representations of King Solomon's Temple.
It is believed that the ground level of the temple had a checkered ornamental flooring. Thus its placement within the lodge allude to the figure
Hiram Abiff
Hiram Abiff (also Hiram Abif or the Widow's son) is the central character of an allegory presented to all candidates during the third degree in Freemasonry.
Hiram is presented as the chief architect of King Solomon's Temple. He is murdered ins ...
, the chief architect of the temple and the protagonist presented as part of the teachings involved in the third degree masonic stage.
The use of this pattern in and outside of ritual is symbolic, utilising contrasting black and white squares to display
dualistic cosmology
Dualism in cosmology or dualistic cosmology is the moral or spiritual belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. It is an umbrella term that covers a diversity of views from various religions, including both traditi ...
concerning the presence of good and evil in human existence.
As Mackey's encyclopaedia of Freemasonry states:
The mosaic pavement is an old symbol of the order. It is met with the earliest rituals of the last century. It is classed among the ornaments of the lodge along with the indented tessel and the blazing star. Its party-colored stones of black and white have been readily and appropriately interpreted as symbols of the evil and good of human life.
The checkered floor's existence as a physical representation of Freemason's moral law, specifically concerning its connection to the principle of good and evil, is derived from the primacy of check in Solomon's temple.
This is due to the teachings of allegorical masonic
morality play
The morality play is a genre of medieval and early Tudor drama. The term is used by scholars of literary and dramatic history to refer to a genre of play texts from the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries that feature personified concepts ( ...
s which are framed around the construction of King Solomon's temple and incorporated into the teachings of Freemason moral law.
Check is further utilised as a symbol in freemasonry on some
tracing board
Tracing boards are painted or printed illustrations depicting the various emblems and symbols of Freemasonry. They can be used as teaching aids during the lectures that follow each of the Masonic Degrees, when an experienced member explains the ...
s, which are typically used as tools or artworks used to assist the teaching of lectures that explain various concepts of the organisation to new or inexperienced members.
Heraldry
![Coat of arms of Croatia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Coat_of_arms_of_Croatia.svg)
Check patterns and variants that are used in
heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...
are known to as ''
chequy
In heraldry, variations of the field are any of a number of ways that a field (or a charge) may be covered with a pattern, rather than a flat tincture or a simple division of the field.
Blazoning of French adjectives
Variations of the field pres ...
.'' This pattern is sometimes used as an identifying mark on a
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
.
![Surrey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Surrey.svg)
A well known display of ''chequy'' is on the
coat of arms of Croatia
The coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Grb Republike Hrvatske) consists of one main shield and five smaller shields which form a crown over the main shield. The main coat of arms is a checkerboard (chequy) that consists of 13 red and ...
and the
coat of arms of the President of Croatia, which are both checkered with white and red squares.
Auto racing
The check pattern is commonly used as a symbol because of its ability to contain contrasting colours and prominence. In
auto racing, a checkered flag is used to indicate that the race has finished because it is identifiable. The origin of this flag and the reason for its usage in racing are undetermined. It is theorised by Fred R. Egloff that the name originates from the 'checkers' who watched the finishing line and checked when cars had finished the race. They began using chequered flags to identify themselves.
Emergency services
![Ambulance_in_Gothenburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Ambulance_in_Gothenburg.jpg)
A variation of the checkerboard pattern, named
Sillitoe tartan
Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kin ...
, is commonly used as a symbol to identify police and other emergency services.
It is used in numerous countries across the world and is incorporated into the design of police uniforms and stations.
Originally developed in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Battenburg markings
Battenburg markings or Battenberg markings are a pattern of high-visibility markings developed in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and currently seen on many types of emergency service vehicles in the UK, Crown dependencies, British Overseas Ter ...
, are used on the side of emergency vehicles for high visibility.
These markings resemble a high contrast checkerboard pattern and look similar to
Sillitoe tartan
Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kin ...
. They are usually
retroreflective
A retroreflector (sometimes called a retroflector or cataphote) is a device or surface that reflects radiation (usually light) back to its source with minimum scattering. This works at a wide range of angle of incidence, unlike a planar mirror, ...
;
a design choice subsequently implemented into emergency service uniforms for
high visibility
''High Visibility'' is an album released by the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters and the first studio album to feature the new guitarist Robert Dahlqvist. The album was released on both CD and vinyl; the first vinyl release featured the music ...
.
Other uses
The versatility and simplicity of the checkerboard pattern mean that the pattern has a wide range of utilities. Because of check's easy application to various instruments, fabrics, and other matter, its practical usages as a tool to assist various tasks has been widespread.
Science
The check pattern has been utilised as a tool within multiple fields of scientific study to analyse the responses of fauna. This is due to the pattern's unanimity, simplicity, and variability in size as multiple iterations of the pattern can measure differing levels of complexity in responses. Animals have responded to checkerboard patterns with different biological mechanisms, allowing scientists to analyse the behaviour, intelligence, and physical limitations of different species. The pattern was used to elicit different camouflage reactions in
cuttlefish
Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...
to analyse how they perceive size, light, and colour. The pattern has also been used by Sutherland and Williams as a tool to display the cognitive capabilities of
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
s.
Optometry
In the field of optometry, the check pattern has been utilised in a variety of
visual acuity tests to measure the responsiveness of the pupil and a patient's ability to discern between different objects.
Technology
The check pattern has been used to increase the productivity and ease of use of various technologies. In digital images, the checkerboard pattern is used to signal the transparency of a background in a
PNG file. Check is also noted as a reliable pattern to use for
camera calibration according to Chunsheng Yu and Qingjin Peng because of its ability to be easily recognised visually by people and computers.
In the creation of solar panels, the check pattern has been used as a configuration to optimise the absorption efficiency of photovoltaic
solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. s.
Board games
![Opening chess position from black side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Opening_chess_position_from_black_side.jpg)
The check pattern has been commonly implemented in the board of tabletop games to create a grid for players to dictate the movement of pieces. The
checkerboard
A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English; see spelling differences) is a board of checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of altern ...
is used in a variety of games including
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
,
draughts
Checkers (American English), also known as draughts (; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers ...
,
makruk
''Makruk'' ( th, หมากรุก; ; ), or Thai chess, is a board game that is descended from the 6th-century Indian game of ''chaturanga'' or a close relative thereof, and is therefore related to chess. It is part of the family of chess va ...
and
shantranj. In chess, the checkered board upon which the game is played is referred to as the
chessboard
A chessboard is a used to play chess. It consists of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 columns, on which the chess pieces are placed. It is square in shape and uses two colours of squares, one light and one dark, in a chequered pattern. During play, the bo ...
and it consists of an 8x8 square grid which holds 64 squares. Chess players use
algebraic notation to describe the movements of each player and refer to each square and piece with a specific letter and number. The vertical columns of the chessboard are called
files and are labeled alphabetically from ''a'' to ''h'', with ''a'' starting on the leftmost side of white's pieces, also referred to as the
queenside
This glossary of chess explains commonly used terms in chess, in alphabetical order. Some of these terms have their own pages, like ''fork'' and ''pin''. For a list of unorthodox chess pieces, see Fairy chess piece; for a list of terms specific t ...
. The horizontal rows of the chessboard are named
ranks and are attributed a whole number ranging from ''1'' to ''8'' where ''1'' is placed on white's side of the chessboard.
Chequers
On a board used by the medieval
Exchequer
In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government reven ...
, the pattern is utilised to perform financial computations pertaining to taxes and goods. The title of Exchequer is derived from the checkered cloth or table upon which confrontational audits of Barons took place.
In art
The alternating and contrasting blocks within the check pattern are heavily utilised by artist
M.C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher (; 17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who made Mathematics and art, mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithography, lithographs, and mezzotints.
Despite wide popular interest, Escher was for ...
. Notable appearance of this pattern by Escher include the
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...
series of woodcut prints,
The Sky and Water Lithograph print series and
The Regular Division of the Plane series among several other works.
The artist
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez (23 March 1887 – 11 May 1927), better known as Juan Gris (; ), was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic ge ...
also frequently incorporates the checkerboard pattern into his paintings. Artworks that feature the pattern include
Still Life with Checked Tablecloth
''Still Life with Checked Tablecloth'' (originally titled ''Le compotier'') is an early 20th century painting by Spanish Cubism, Cubist artist Juan Gris. Done in oil and graphite on canvas, the painting depicts a table set with grapes, a bottle o ...
, Violin and Checkerboard and
Harlequin with a Guitar.
Types
*
Argyle (pattern)
An argyle (, occasionally spelled argyll) pattern is made of diamonds or lozenges. The word is sometimes used to refer to an individual diamond in the design, but more commonly refers to the overall pattern. Most argyle contains layers of overl ...
*
Battenburg markings
Battenburg markings or Battenberg markings are a pattern of high-visibility markings developed in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and currently seen on many types of emergency service vehicles in the UK, Crown dependencies, British Overseas Ter ...
*
Checkered flag
Racing flags are traditionally used in auto racing and similar motorsports to indicate track condition and to communicate important messages to drivers. Typically, the starter, sometimes the grand marshal of a race, waves the flags atop a flag s ...
*
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, b ...
*
Gingham
Gingham, also called Vichy check, is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric typically with striped, check or plaid duotone patterns, in bright colour and in white made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarns. It is made of carded, medium or ...
*
Houndstooth
Houndstooth, hounds tooth check or hound's tooth (and similar spellings), also known as dogstooth, dogtooth, dog's tooth, (), (), is a duotone textile pattern characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes, traditionally in black ...
*
Madras (cloth)
Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and tartan design, used primarily for summer clothing such as pants, shorts, lungi, dresses, and jackets. The fabric takes its name from the former name of the city of Che ...
*
Plaid (pattern)
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
*
Sillitoe tartan
Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kin ...
*
Square tiling
In geometry, the square tiling, square tessellation or square grid is a regular tiling of the Euclidean plane. It has Schläfli symbol of meaning it has 4 squares around every vertex.
Conway called it a quadrille.
The internal angle of the s ...
*
Stripe (pattern)
A stripe is a line or band that differs in color or tone from an adjacent area. Stripes are a group of such lines.
Usage and appearance
As a pattern (more than one stripe together), stripes are commonly seen in nature, food, emblems, clothing, ...
*
Tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
*
Tattersall (cloth)
Tattersall is a style of check or plaid pattern woven into cloth. The pattern is composed of regularly-spaced thin, even vertical warp stripes, repeated horizontally in the weft, thereby forming squares.
The stripes are usually in two alternatin ...
Sources
* Harrison, E. S.; ''Our Scottish District Checks''; National Association of Woollen Manufacturers, Edinburgh; 1968 p6.
References
London Regalia https://londonregalia.com/2021/11/30/history-of-the-knights-templar/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Check (Fabric)
Textile patterns
Scottish culture
Patterns
Check (Pattern)
Check (also checker, Brit: chequer) is a pattern of modified stripes consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines which form squares. The pattern typically contains two colours where a single checker (that is a single square within the chec ...
Ska
Checker vehicles
Fashion
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