FROGS

   The frog, as the indented part of the brick came to be known, first appeared in the region during the 1870s century and its purpose was manifold: it created a better bond between individual bricks, reduced weight and dried faster, provided a place for branding and saved time, material and therefore money. Early versions may have been made by hand or stick impressions while the clay was still soft, or ‘green’. Later, small blocks, or kikkers (Dutch for frog) were affixed to the interior of the moulds and eventually names were added, “sometimes burned into the wood (or leather) and sometimes cut with a knife.” (Daniel de Noyelles, “Within These Gates”). The depth of the frog increases over time and some manufacturers added frogs to existing branded moulds, obliterating the names.