Page 115 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots

104 History and Science of Knots

Other evidence also leads to the conclusion that knots were cherished as an
essential part of everyday life. As a matter of fact, Chinese gentlemen of the
Chou Dynasty (1122-221 B.c.) carried a special tool tied to their waist sashes,
known as hsi. Made of ivory, jade, or bone, the hsi was a device to untie knots.
By the end of the 1st century, Shuang-ch'ien Chieh had met with wide
popularity, as had the Niu-ko Chieh and Ping Chieh. In the early part of the
5th century, a multitude of structurally sophisticated variants of the Shuang-
ch'ien design emerged. The development of Chinese knotwork reached its
first peak during the Sui and T'ang Dynasties (581-907), during which many
innovative forms emerged. A survey of some of the paintings that depict court
life of the period and the practice of decorating the tombs of palace maids
with knots indicates that the art was very much favored by members of the
imperial family. The Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911) witnessed yet another state
of prominence in the history of Chinese knotwork. The forms that are basic
to us today, along with their more structurally complex variants, were widely
employed. In fact, the art of knotwork was so popular that even the author
of the Hung-lou Meng, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, made references
to such knots as I chu-hsiang (Incense), Hsiang-yen-k'uai (Elephant's Eye),
Fang-sheng (Twin Diamonds), Ch'ao-t'ien-teng (Sunflower), Mei-hua (Plum
Blossom), and Liu-hs (Willow Leaf).
Some of the finest pieces in the collection of the National Palace Museum
are furnished with decorative knots of the Ch'ing era.

Fig. 16. Author's Knotwork
The development of knotwork in late imperial and early republican China
did not proceed as smoothly as it had previously, as the political chaos and
social unrest so characteristic of the time were by no means conducive for the
continued growth of the art. It was not until 1976 when the knotwork of China