The long history of the Chinese Knot dates hack to ancient times when no characters existed. People first used knots for fastening, wrapping, hunting, and fishing. The knot was developed into an art form during the Tang(618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties and fully flourished in the Ming(1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The precious folk art experienced a decline in the last century, but since the late 1990s, along with embroidery and Tangzhuang (traditional Chinese dress), the Chinese Knot has made a strong comeback. Now recognized as more than a fashionable ornament for festivals, the art elements of the Chinese Knot has been widely used in necklaces, bracelets, hair ornaments, classic coat buttons and even hangings for cam or mobile phones. The major salient feature of the Chinese Knot is that every one is tied from a single thread (at least one meter long) but looks the same from both the front and back. A typical Chinese Knot is red, but it can also be gold, green, blue or black. Flower, bird, dragon, phoenix fish and shoes are the most common patterns used in the Chinese Knot. The most welcomed patterns are those in fish and shoes. Fish demonstrates good luck in fortune and the knot made in a shoe figure is a wish to exorcise (or free) evil spirits. People are drawn to traditional Chinese Knots for different reasons. The Chinese word jie (knot) is similar to (auspicious), the latter bears numerous positive meanings, such as blessing, longevity, fortune, good health and safely. Sotne Chinese Knots look complicated and elaborate in pattern and design, the techniques to make them are fixed-they are just a combination of less than 20 basic techniques of tying them. But new materials are being used in making the knots more decorative, such as wood and soft pottery. This traditional handicraft of tying Chinese Knots, with a history of more than 1,000 years, is making a strong comeback and delivers blessings of happiness, prosperity, love and good luck to the Chinese people.
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