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Encyclopedia > Codpiece
Henry VIII wearing a codpiece
Henry VIII wearing a codpiece

A codpiece (Middle English codpece = cod 'bag, scrotum' + pece 'piece') is a flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers to provide a covering for the genitals. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods. It was an important item of European clothing in the 15th and 16th centuries. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (610x1089, 177 KB) Summary Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland, portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger Licensing This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (610x1089, 177 KB) Summary Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland, portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger Licensing This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term... “Henry VIII” redirects here. ... Middle English is the name given to an early form of the English language that was in common use from roughly the 12th to the 15th centuries— from after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066 to around the introduction of the printing press by William Caxton... Germanic trousers of the 4th century found in the Thorsberg moor, Germany Early use of trousers in France: a sans-culotte by Louis-Léopold Boilly. ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

Contents

History

At first, the codpiece was entirely a practical matter of modesty. Men's hose (leg coverings) were typically very snug on the legs and open at the crotch, with the genitalia simply hanging loose under the doublet. As changing fashions led to shorter doublets, the codpiece was created to cover the crotch. Alternative theories of the origin of the codpiece exist.[1] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Florentine particolored hose, c. ... The unidentified tailor in Giovanni Battista Moronis famous portrait of ca 1570 is in doublet and lined and stuffed (bombasted) breeches. ...


As time passed, codpieces were shaped to emphasize the male genitalia and eventually often became padded and bizarrely shaped. They also often doubled as pockets, handy carrying places for a variety of items such as coins and snuff. In the latter half of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, the codpiece and doublet merged into the "peascod" doublet, and the codpiece faded from fashion. Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ...

Metal cod-pieces, 16c
Metal cod-pieces, 16c

Armour of the 16th century followed civilian fashion, and for a time armoured codpieces were a prominent addition to the best full harnesses. A few of these are on display in museums today: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has one, as does the Higgins Armory in Worcester, Massachusetts[2][3]; the armour of Henry VIII in the Tower of London has a codpiece. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Elevation The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as the Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Worcester County Settled 1673 Incorporated 1684 Government  - Type Council-manager also known as Plan E  - City Manager Michael V. OBrien  - Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes  - City Council Dennis L. Irish Michael C. Perotto Joseph M. Petty Gary Rosen Kathleen... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ...


Renaissance humorist Francois Rabelais wrote a book entitled On the Dignity of Codpieces . This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... François Rabelais (ca. ...


Slang

Through the same linguistic route, cods became a modern slang term for the male genitalia; codswallop ("nonsense") is an associated term. The word codswallop, primarily a British English term meaning nonsense, is of uncertain origin; there are two main schools of thought. ...


Hi beersy

Codpieces in contemporary culture

Performers

Codpieces are sometimes worn as a part of a costume in a performance. Some contemporary performers who have worn codpieces are: Yarkand ladies summer fashions. ...

  • Members of the American Rock Band Kiss, often wore black and silver costumes with codpieces.
  • The lead singer of 1980s music group Cameo, Larry Blackmon wore a large, bright-red codpiece in all of his performances.
  • Shock rock performer Blackie Lawless, leader of the group WASP, has been known to wear a codpiece that features a saw blade and is capable of shooting out flames and sparks.
  • Electric Six lead singer Dick Valentine can be seen wearing a brightly flashing codpiece in the music video for the band’s 2003 hit single Danger! High Voltage.

This article is about the lead singer of Jethro Tull. ... For the 18th-century agriculturist after whom the band was named, see Jethro Tull (agriculturist). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Cameos latest album cover: The Definitive Collection Cameo is a funk, R&B and dance group, best known for the 1986 hit Word Up!. Their lead singer is Larry Blackmon. ... Shock rock is a very wide umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances. ... Blackie Lawless Blackie Lawless (born Steven Edward Duren on September 4, 1956, in Staten Island, New York) is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P.. He has become notorious in the heavy metal community for his live performances, controversial album... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... King Diamond (born Kim Bendix Petersen, June 14, 1956, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a heavy metal musician known for his shock rock image. ... Electric Six is a six-piece Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as an energetic[2] and unique[3] brand of rock music infused with elements of garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal. ... Danger! High Voltage is a song by Electric Six, released on 3 January 2003 through XL Recordings. ...

Characters

  • In the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Earth is covered in radioactive dust from nuclear fallout, so male characters must wear lead codpieces to avoid becoming sterile.
  • The films Batman Forever and Batman & Robin received much publicity over the size of the molded rubber codpieces of the Batman and Robin costumes.
  • In Babylon 5, G'Kar, played by Andreas Katsulas, sports a codpiece as part of his Ambassadorial garb.
  • In one episode of Metalocalypse, bassist William Murderface purchases a diamond-encrusted codpiece which is reinforced by titanium alloy and is shaped like a horn. Meanwhile, guitarist Toki Wartooth purchases a strap-on dildo, mistaking it for a codpiece. An assassin sent by the mysterious group observing the band Dethklok later trips and falls face first into the codpiece and is skewered.
  • In the 1995 film Se7en, a lust-related murder involves a man being forced at gunpoint to don a codpiece with a long blade attached as a pseudo-phallus and have sex with a prostitute, killing the woman in the process.
  • Actor Dougray Scott, on his role in Ever After, said, "I had never worn a codpiece before and I don't think I ever will again." --IMDB

Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was a British novelist, critic and composer. ... Clockwork Orange redirects here. ... Kubrick redirects here. ... Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a 1968 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. ... Imperial Stormtroopers are highly trained shock troops in the fictional Star Wars universe. ... This article is about the series. ... Batman Forever is a 1995 superhero film. ... The film Batman and Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher, is considered by most to be less serious than the 1989 Batman movie and sequels Batman Returns (1992) and Forever (1995). ... Jim Henson, born James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was the most widely known American puppeteer in modern American television history. ... Labyrinth is a 1986 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed through the art of Brian Froud. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Pants. ... The Pirate Movie is a 1982 musical and comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta in two acts. ... Laurence Larry Wachowski (born June 21, 1965) and Andrew Andy Wachowski (born December 29, 1967) are American film directors and writers most famous for creating The Matrix series. ... The Matrix Revolutions is the third and final film in The Matrix trilogy. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... Metalocalypse is an animated television series on Adult Swim created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. ... A 7-inch silicone dildo A dildo (or dildoe, a rare alternate spelling) is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily interaction during masturbation or sexual intercourse. ... For the singer, see Se7en (singer). ... Dougray Scott (born Stephen Scott on November 25, 1965) is a Scottish television and film actor best known in America for playing Ian Hainsworth in Desperate Housewives. ... Ever After: A Cinderella Story is a 1998 film adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Drew Barrymore. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... This article is about the 2005 video game. ... Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. ... Doctor Doom, one of the most archetypal supervillains and his arch-enemies The Fantastic Four (in background). ... The Doom Patrol is an idiosyncratic DC Comics superhero team. ... Coagula (real name Kate Godwin, birth name Clark Godwin) is a former member of Doom Patrol. ...

See also

  • 1500-1550 in fashion
  • 1550-1600 in fashion

Portrait of the family of Sir Thomas More shows English fashions of the later 1520s. ... English opulence, Italian reticella lace ruff, (possibly) Polish ornamentation, a French farthingale, and Spanish severity: The Ermine Portrait of Elizabeth I Fashion in the period 1550-1600 in Western European clothing is characterized by increased opulence, the rise of the ruff, the expansion of the farthingale for women, and, for...

Notes

  1. ^ Kosir, Beth Marie: Modesty to Majesty: The Development of the Codpiece, http://www.r3.org/life/articles/codpiece.html
  2. ^ John Grabenstein, http://www.higgins.org -
  3. ^ David Edge, Arms and Armor of Medieval Knights: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages
  4. ^ Because Crotch-to-Air Missiles are Awesome...

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

References

  • Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0810963175
  • Ashelford, Jane. The Visual History of Costume: The Sixteenth Century. 1983 edition (ISBN 0-89676-076-6), 1994 reprint (ISBN 0-7134-6828-9).
  • Edge, David: Arms and Armor of Medieval Knights: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages
  • Hearn, Karen, ed. Dynasties: Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530-1630. New York: Rizzoli, 1995. ISBN 0-8478-1940-X.

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Codpiece at AllExperts (865 words)
A codpiece (Middle English codpece: cod, bag, scrotum (from Old English codd, bag) + pece, piece) is a flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers to provide a covering for the genitals.
In England in the latter half of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, the codpiece and doublet merged into the "peascod" doublet, and the codpiece faded from fashion.
Codpieces are rarely worn publicly today and then usually as a part of a costume worn in a performance.
Codpiece (259 words)
The origin of the codpiece was a small bag with a flap at the fork of the hose which was fastened by ties.
Codpieces became designed to emphasize the male genitalia and were eventually padded and enlarged to astounding proportions!
The codpiece became prominent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth's father - King Henry VIII is often associated with the codpiece and this peculiar item of clothing is featured in his portraits.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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