Lào zi
{{Short description|Knotting craft in ancient China also used as clothing decoration}}
{{about-distinguish|a Chinese traditional craftsmanship|Laozi}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| s = 络子
| p = Làozi
| altname = Tāo zi
| c2 = 绦子
| p2 = Tāozi
| lang1 = English
| lang1_content = Chinese knotting
| t = 絡子
| pic = 唐寅《秋風紈扇圖》.jpg
| picsize = 150px
| piccap = {{transliteration|zh|Lào}} or {{transliteration|zh|tāo}} (knotted ribbons) used as a form of Hanfu accessories; it is tied at the waist belt of a {{transliteration|zh|ruqun}}
}}
{{Transliteration|zh|Lào zi}} ({{Lang-zh|c=|s=络子|t=絡子}}), also called {{Transliteration|zh|Tāo zi}} ({{Lang-zh|c=绦子|s=}}), is an ancient appellation for knots in China.{{Cite book |last=Yang |first=Yuxin |chapter=Unveiling and Activating the "Uncertain Heritage" Of Chinese Knotting |chapter-url=https://papers.iafor.org/submission41803/ |title=ACCS 2018 Conference Proceedings |date=9 April 2018 |language=en-GB}} In ancient Chinese literature, the {{Transliteration|zh|Lào zi}} actually refers to what is now known as {{Transliteration|zh|zhongguo jie}} ({{zh|t=中國結|s=中国结|p=zhōngguó jié|tp=li|l=Chinese knots}}) in Chinese and Chinese knotting in English. The term Chinese knotting only became known in recent years when it was summarized by Lydia Chen in the 1980s.{{cite book|last1=Chen|first1=Lydia|title=The complete book of chinese knotting: a compendium of techniques and variations|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=9781462916450|page=5}} It was a tradition to use the {{Transliteration|zh|lào}} and/or {{Transliteration|zh|tāo}} as a form of {{Transliteration|zh|yaopei}} ({{Lang-zh|c=|s=|t=|l=waist girdle ornament}}) in {{Transliteration|zh|Hanfu}} where it was tied to the waist by using silk or cotton ribbon.
Etymology
The meaning of the two terms {{Transliteration|zh|Lào zi}} and {{Transliteration|zh|Tāo zi}} are quite similar.
The Chinese character for {{Transliteration|zh|lào}}, {{Lang-zh|c=絡|s=|labels=no}} in traditional Chinese and {{Lang-zh|c=|s=络|labels=no}} in simplified Chinese, is a specific term which refers to knotting, enmeshing, and wrapping.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The meaning of 络 (lào)|url=https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%BB%9C|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=漢典}}
The Chinese character for {{Transliteration|zh|tāo}}, {{Lang-zh|c=绦|s=|labels=no}}, refers to the lace or flat ribbon woven from silk thread which can used to decorate clothing.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The meaning of 绦 (Tāo)|url=https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%BB%A6|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=漢典}}
Usage
{{See also|Hanfu accessories}}
According to Dream of the Red Chamber, making {{Transliteration|zh|Lào zi}} means making knots that can be used on waist as knotting belt; the {{Transliteration|zh|Lào zi}} could also be as decorative knots with tassel hanging for small object or furnishing (similar to the {{Transliteration|ko|norigae}} used in the {{Transliteration|ko|hanbok}}). As a form of knot-craft, it could be used to knot a net sachet for containing small objects.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=紅樓夢/第035回|trans-title=Dream of the Red Chamber·Chapter 35|url=https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E7%B4%85%E6%A8%93%E5%A4%A2/%E7%AC%AC035%E5%9B%9E|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-14|website=Wikisource}}
The knot at the waist by ribbon can be seen from many artworks especially in the beauty painting, and ancient literature description recorded that the tradition of knot ribbon can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period (770 – 76 BCE); for example, in the chapter {{Transliteration|zh|Zhaogong}} ({{Lang-zh|c=昭公|s=|labels=no}}) of the {{Transliteration|zh|Zuo Zhuan}} ({{Lang-zh|c=左傳|s=|labels=no}}), the tradition of tying ribbon as knots to the belt is recorded.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=春秋左传·昭公|trans-title=Zuo Zhuan·Zhao Gong|url=https://zh.m.wikisource.org/wiki/春秋左氏傳/昭公|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=14 July 2020|website=Wikisource}}
Gallery
File:夜坐.jpeg|alt=
File:Konghou from silk painting by Qiu Ying, "Spring Morning in the Han Palace".jpg
See also
- Chinese knotting
- Frog (fastening) – a fastener which originated from China and is now typically used in cheongsam
- Hanfu accessories
- {{Transliteration|zh|Hanfu}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lao zi}}