Inheriting the beauty of the millennium:
Exploring the charm of traditional Chinese knot art
Millennium Heritage: Deciphering the History and Significance of Chinese Knot
Chinese knots originated in the ancient land of China, from the Shang and Zhou dynasties bronzes on a similar pattern prototype. After the development and evolution of the past dynasties, it has gradually become a unique folk art form, and is widely used in various life scenes. Whether it is a traditional wedding ceremony or an important holiday celebration, or when relatives and friends exchange gifts, people like to express their best wishes with exquisite Chinese knots.
In Chinese culture, different types of Chinese knots have their own special meanings. For example, the ruyi knot symbolizes good luck and everything goes well; the coiled knot symbolizes eternal love and long-lasting friendship. In addition, there are many other styles such as bow, Pisces knot, etc. also carry a rich cultural heritage and humanistic feelings.
Each carefully prepared Chinese knot is not only a beautiful handicraft, but also an important medium to convey love among family members. When the bride enters the new house in her gorgeous wedding dress, the elders often send a pair of delicate and festive red mandarin duck knots, expressing the good hope that the couple will be married forever. The small and exquisite gold lock pendant received by the child when he is one year old embodies the parents' wish for the healthy growth of the child.
Tools & Materials: Start Your Weaving Journey
For novices who are new to Chinese knots, choosing the right rope and thread is very important. There are a variety of materials to choose from on the market, such as cotton and linen soft and comfortable, silk smooth and delicate, nylon strong and durable, and so on. In addition to the main material, you need to be equipped with some auxiliary equipment, such as pointed pliers to tighten the rope, round head tweezers to facilitate perforation and retrieval, and sharp scissors to cut excess thread ends.
There are a few common terms to familiarize yourself with before starting production. "Strand" refers to the number of basic units that make up a single knot, which is generally an even number for easy operation, while "braid" refers to the appearance formed by combining multiple strings into one strand. Understanding these basic knowledge helps to practice basic knotting techniques more quickly, such as flat knots, which are stable and reliable for beginners to get started. Snake knots are winding and full of dynamic changes.
In order to ensure safety, it is important to read the instructions carefully and strictly follow the relevant regulations before using any tools. Especially in the case of handling equipment with sharp ends or high-speed operation should be doubly cautious. Only by following scientific and reasonable methods can we ensure that every creation can be completed safely and smoothly.
Cultural Treasures: Interpreting the Stories Behind Traditional Patterns
Behind each classic Chinese knot is a moving legend and profound meaning. Taking the double-money knot with the theme of "longevity and extension" as an example, this figure composed of two circles represents people's yearning for a long and prosperous life. It is said that in ancient times, a wise mother specially wore such a talisman on her son in order to keep him away from disaster and protect him. From then on, whenever there is a major event or a turning point in life, family members will wear the same lucky charm to their loved ones for shelter.
What is also amazing is the colorful auspicious cloud pattern, which is one of the concrete manifestations of the Chinese nation's beautiful vision of praying for peace and prosperity since ancient times. Auspicious clouds can exist independently or combine with other elements to form a magnificent picture. Whether it is the murals carved on the walls of palaces and temples or the screen tapestry hanging in ordinary people's homes, there is no lack of such wonderful images.
By listening to these popular classic stories, we can have a deeper understanding of the breadth and depth of Chinese culture. At the same time, they were also impressed by the wisdom of the ancients-they skillfully used simple lines to convey far-reaching thoughts and feelings, which made people still moved even after thousands of years.
actual combat exercise: step by step to teach you to make up exquisite works
Now let's enter the practical stage! Here we will introduce a four-leaf clover Chinese knot that is very suitable for beginners to try. First, prepare the required materials-a red ribbon about two meters long and a small comb tool (you can replace it with a toothbrush). Then follow the steps shown in the following figure:
1. cross and wind the two ends of the ribbon respectively through the middle of the comb to form a small circle; 2. then repeat the above actions to extend to the outside until the whole width reaches the expected size; 3. finally tighten all the loose parts, arrange and form to get a complete leaf shape. For less skilled friends, it is easier to grasp the main points where a mirror can be placed next to them to observe the details.
If you don't think this is enough for your creative needs, try another slightly more challenging octagonal star style. This design requires more patience and meticulous work, but it will definitely amaze people when it is completed. The key is to find the delicate relationship between beauty and practicality, and create unique handicrafts to decorate our beautiful living space.
color code: revealing the principle of color matching helps perfect presentation
Color is the soul of the Chinese knot, and the right color collocation can often add a lot of color to the work. An understanding of basic color theory is essential, especially in applications involving complementary and adjacent colors. For example, the combination of red and green as typical complementary colors can produce strong visual impact, which is very suitable for use as a prominent part of the theme. On the contrary, if you choose similar colors such as pink and purple gradient transition, the picture will appear soft, warm and romantic.
In fact, excellent color matching cases can be seen everywhere around us, which is worth learning from. Walking in the streets and alleys, you can see the street shop signs adopt bright and dazzling three primary colors to attract customers' attention to stop and watch; the park green space is surrounded by flowers to compete for beauty and Fang presents a rich and colorful scene... These are the best teachers that nature has given to human beings, and they teach us how to flexibly use factors such as regional characteristics and seasonal changes to create the most ideal viewing effect.
after mastering these basic principles, you can mix all kinds of pigments as you like ~ perhaps inadvertently mixing and matching can bring unexpected good results ~