Page 106 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots
P. 106
The Art of Chinese Knotwork: a Short History
symbolizing the fertility of the earth and imperial power, the Shuang-ch'ien
motif nevertheless signifies the fable that the Chinese are its descendants.
The Shuang-ch'ien Chieh and the Niu-k'ou Chieh (Button Knot) both appear
in stone sculptures and brick inscriptions of the Han Dynasty (Fig. 2).
An examination of its structure indicates that this particular form is es-
sentially a variation of the Shuang-ch'ien motif. The Northern and Southern
Dynasties period (386-589) witnessed the rise of yet another variant based
on the Shuang-ch'ien design, with the intertwining of four dragons creating a
beautiful, albeit structurally more complex, pattern (Fig. 3) [13].
Fig. 4. Wan-tzu Chieh (Sauvastika Knot)
