Turquoise Silk Tassel with Eighteen Luohan Charm

​​Chinese knotted tassels are used to add elegance to everyday items like hairpins or lanterns. They often hold sentimental value, and are passed down through families for generations. In ancient times, lovers sometimes gave knots as tokens of their love.

This large turquoise-blue tassel with orange embellishments is hand-knotted from silk cord with two elaborate knot formations in the shape of fans or stone chimes. Strung at the center of the tassel is a resin-cast charm made to resemble an intricate Chinese walnut carving, an artistic practice that dates to the Song dynasty (960-1279). The shallow relief depicts a decorative pattern known as the eighteen luohan motif. The eighteen luohan are the personal disciples of the Buddha and the guardians of Buddhist adherents.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.