Ru yi (sacred fungus) knot, Tang Dynasty (CE 618–906). Photo courtesy Palace Museum, Taipei.
Furniture and Other Household Objects
Bronze mirrors, forged with rings on the back, were tied to walls by knotted cords (page 14), while bronze vessels from the Warring States Period, replicas of earthenware jugs, were decorated with a knotted network resembling the cords used to support their fragile antecedents. In various portraits from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods, Chinese knots occur beneath chairs, for example, in “The Lady with the Fan” (page 13), and in screens behind emperors’ seats. In fact, the first pan chang knot was found in a portrait of the Ming Emperor Xiaozhong (page 6). From the Song period, Chinese knots were used to decorate armrests. The predilection for Chinese knots is evident in all portraits of Song royalty, for example, Empress Zheng Zhong (page 14).
Accessories and Other Items
Umbrellas adorned with Chinese knots are abundant in the “Luo Goddess” scrolls dated from the Eastern Jin Period. They are also seen in the stone frieze, “The Emperor Praying to Buddha,” in the Bingyang Cave, Luoyang, Henan (page 13). Musical instruments embellished with knots can be seen in the brick frieze, “The Seven Scholars of the Bamboo Garden,” from Hu Bridge in Danyang, Jiangsu (page 13). During the Qing Dynasty, knots were widely used to grace objects in daily use such as ru yi, sachets, wallets, fan tassels, spectacle cases and rosaries. All existing basic knots, except the creeper and the constellation knots, also appeared on ornaments from the Qing Dynasty, regarded as the heyday of Chinese knots, where the outer loops were extended into other knots. As a decorative design on objects, the round brocade knot was first discovered on a Tang silver pot dug up in He Village, Xian (page 5). The tassel knot was discovered onTang a mirror (page 5) and the cloverleaf knot on a Song porcelain box (page 6).
Portrait of the Empress Zheng Zhong, Song Dynasty (CE 960–1279).
Longevity mirror, Han Dynasty 206 BCE–CE 220). Photo Courtesy of Palace Museum, Taipei.
Painted wooden figure, Eastern Zhou Period (770–256 BCE), from the Chu tomb, Xinyang, Henan Province.
Sketch of the same wooden figure.
Special Characteristics of Chinese Knots
In the realm of knotting, Chinese knots are considered to have the most outstanding decorative value. Even the Japanese and Koreans – themselves masters at tying knots – are fascinated by the knotting techniques and applications of the Chinese for the simple reason that the structure of Chinese knots is highly varied and their applications limitless.
Chinese knots are not only exceptionally graceful but are also practical: they can tie objects tightly. A major characteristic of Chinese knotwork is that all the knots can be tied using one cord, usually about a meter in length. Another is that every basic knot is named according to its distinctive shape, meaning or pronunciation. A Chinese knot body is made up of two layers of cords sandwiching an empty space, hence the three-dimensional, symmetrical body is tough enough to stay in shape when suspended. Redundant cord ends can be hidden inside a knot body and ornamental beads, precious stones or other embellishments can be incorporated for additional aesthetic effect. Since all Chinese knots are identical on both sides, they are pleasing to the eye.
Chinese knots also have unlimited variations due to their complicated weaves and weave sequences, the number of outer loops employed, the tightness of the knot body, etc. Furthermore, the basic knots can be randomly recombined to form many more patterns. All Chinese knots can be used to decorate and tie objects. The scope of ingenuity in Chinese knotting is thus without boundaries.
Knotted masterpiece by Sekishima Noboru.
A study in simplicity and elegance by Sudou Kumiko.
Knotted gold thread pendant by Lydia Chen.
Chinese knot wall décoration by Lydia Chen.
A wall hanging made of flat knots and rolling knots, courtesy of Tanaka Toshiko.
A stunning knot encircling a bead by Lydia Chen.
Korean examples by Kim Ju-shen.
In his book Japanese Gift Wraps, Sekishima Noboru expounded that the Japanese tradition of tying knots, hanamusubi (hana means “flower” and musubi “knot”) was, in fact, a legacy from China’s Tang Dynasty. This occurred in the seventh century when the Japanese Emperor, impressed with the elegance and practicality of the reed and white jute cord knots used to tie a gift from the Chinese, encouraged his people to adopt the same practice. However, the Japanese knots that developed as a result tend to be comparatively austere and formal, perhaps because of the constraints in Japanese tradition and the overall Japanese aesthetic. Up to this day, Japanese knots are still fairly simple and structurally loose and are more decorative than practical in function. They are embedded in everyday activities such as wrapping. The use of numerous colors and diverse types of cord are particular Japanese characteristics.
Closely related to Chinese knotting is maedup or Korean knotting. As with Japanese knots, it is believed that Korean knotting techniques originated from China. According to the late Kim Ju-shen, one-time president of the Korean Handicraft Association, historical data about Korean knots is grossly lacking and their origin and use in ancient times is unclear although it appears that they are based on Chinese antecedents. However, Korean knots have evolved into a rich culture of their own in terms of design and color and the incorporation of local characteristics. The main differences between Chinese and Korean knots are the proportion of tassel to knot (much longer tassels are used in Korean knots), the type of cord used (Koreans favor round
