Fun with Chinese Knotting - Making Your Own Fashion Accessories & Accents

Fun with chinese Knotting-(Berkeiey)

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03 Basic Knots (55-69)FIN_ 10/18/06 5:57 PM Page 68

68 TASSEL KNOT

Tassel Knot

On the back of Tang Dynasty mirrors, it is common to find the design of a phoenix

with a tassel hanging from its beak. This knot is frequently found in tassels and hence

the name tassel knot. As the front and back of a tassel knot are different, only one side

is suitable for display. Though the front of the knot body appears to be a cloverleaf

knot (page 57) tied with double cords, with the outer loops on both sides seemingly

double-layered as well, the tassel knot is, in fact, tied with only one cord.

Tying

Tighten the two layers of the outer loop into different sizes to give the appearance of

a double-layered structure. Alternatively, tie each layer of the outer loop into different

knots, again to give a three-dimensional effect. If you want to attach an ornament to

the knot, pull the cord end through the ornament first and then tie it.

Tips

• Keep the cord flat to avoid entanglement.


• Always adjust the cord ends and the top outer loop during the tightening process.

1 Fold the cord and tie both cord ends as one. 2

3