Page 104 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots

The Art of Chinese Knotwork: a Short History 93

Lacking historical source materials pertinent to the evolution of knotwork
in China, one has to resort to other areas for possible references to this delicate
form of art. Literature is one area of interest, as such knot terms as T'ung-hsin
Chieh, Ho-huan Chieh, Shuang-shuang Chieh, and Hui-wen Chieh occasionally
appear in the poetry of ancient China [9]-[11]; yet, we have no way of finding
out how they actually looked. In addition, a good many works of sculpture,
carving, pottery, and painting also feature decorations of knotwork. The study
of these works may therefore yield some insights into the techniques employed
in the making of certain knots, the historical period when a particular knot-
form first emerged and how it was used, as well as a host of other relevant
topics.

Fig. 2. A Knot from the Han Dynasty