Knot craft is one of China's ancient folk arts. Colorful silk threads are plaited into various kinds of auspicious patterns to make beautiful ornaments and accessories. Like most things Chinese, knot craft has an improbably long history, in this case dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.) and the tradition has remained popular throughout Chinese history. Knots are still used today as ornaments for clothing and as decorations in houses. The logo for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics was based on a traditional knot craft design.

Chinese knotting is a decorative handicraft art that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. It was later popularized in the Ming. The art is also referred to as Chinese traditional decorative knots. In other cultures, it is known as "Decorative knots".

Chinese knots are usually lanyard type arrangements where 2 cords enter from the top of the knot and 2 cords leave from the bottom. The knots are usually double-layered and symmetrical.

Archaeological studies indicate that the art of tying knots dates back to prehistoric times. Recent discoveries include 100,000-year old bone needles used for sewing and bodkins, which were used to untie knots. However, due to the delicate nature of the medium, few examples of prehistoric Chinese knotting exist today. Some of the earliest evidence of knotting have been preserved on bronze vessels of the Warring States period (481–221 BCE), Buddhist carvings of the Northern Dynasties period (317–581) and on silk paintings during the Western Han period (206 BCE–CE6).

Further references to knotting have also been found in literature, poetry and the private letters of some of the most infamous rulers of China. In the 18th century, one book that talked extensively about the art was Dream of the Red Chamber.[3]

The phenomenon of knot tying continued to steadily evolve over the course of thousands of years with the development of more sophisticated techniques and increasingly intricate woven patterns. During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) knotting finally broke from its pure folklore status, becoming an acceptable art form in Chinese society and reached the pinnacle of its success. Knotting continued to flourish up until about the end of imperial China and the founding of the Republic of China in 1911 AD when China began its modernization period.[1] From 1912 to the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, the art of Chinese knotting was almost lost.

In the late 1970s, a resurgence of interest occurred in Taiwan, largely due to the efforts of Lydia Chen of the National Palace Museum who founded the Chinese Knotting Promotion Center. In the 1980s, Mrs. Chen focused her energies on the knotting artifacts preserved during the Qing Dynasty. Currently, Chinese knotting enjoys wide popularity in Taiwan with numerous specialty shops to be found.

In February 2008, Corra Liew from Malaysia was seeking possibilities outside traditional wire jewelry making techniques. She developed jewelry based on Chinese knotting made from wire. She calls the technique Wired Chinese Knot.

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