Fun with chinese Knotting-(Berkeiey)
D1006-54 -- 4225 --05 Tassel Designs (111-119)FIN_ 10/19/06 2:35 AM Page 111
111TBTassel Designs
A tassel is a hanging ornament com-
prising a stiff head at the top and a
bundle of soft cords at the bottom.
Adding an appropriate tassel to an
object or to a knot formation can
greatly enhance its beauty.
Tassels used to be commonplace in
the daily lives of many Chinese, and
are still frequently found hanging
from lanterns, bed mosquito nets, bed
canopies, wall hangings and other
household objects, adding a touch of
gaiety and “Chineseness.” They were
also commonly attached to the ends
of smaller personal items, such as
fans, spectacle cases, bags, pouches
and pendants.
In this section, instructions for
making five common tassels – the love
tassel, button tassel, good luck tassel,
horizontal weave tassel and diagonal
weave tassel – are given.
The techniques for tying tassels
are not, of course, limited to these five
types. For example, there is one par-
ticular technique where the tassel
head is made from a thick cord
formed from a bundle of thinner
cords. With this type of cord, the fine
cords can be unraveled to produce
two tassels at both ends. A slightly dif-
ferent type of tassel can also be made
by tying the remaining cord ends of a
knot formation into a double coin
knot, cloverleaf knot or other knot
and inserting beads. With imagina-
tion and improvisation, any number
of other tassels can be devised for
adorning clothes, accessories, orna-
ments and home furnishings.