Just out of curiosity, how many of you caught the article on Chinese cloisonne beads that Rosanna and I worked on?
I don't kow how to judge the time of the beads (that are very impressive), but I am reasonably sure the necklace was constricted in the 1980s or later.
It's the format of the necklace.
The necklace is tied with a single double-back knot between each bead. Then, it's tied-off with a single double-back end-knot (at each end of the clasp). And the clasp is a very typical filigree box clasp.
All of this says "1980."
At that time this was the way new necklaces were presented. I spent a few hours examining and experimenting, to learn these knots. And I teach them in my Bead Stringing Clinic. I was very impressed that a single knot was used to close a necklace—that was strong and didn't unravel itself. The way it's tied, pulling on the cord (from the necklace itself) actually makes the knot tighter, and not prone to untie itself.
In 1980 I had been collecting and examining Chinese necklaces for ten years. But I had never seen this before. Plus, this is the time that filigree box clasps became common in the marketplace (though I understand they existed from before this time too).
The use of double knotting is interesting, as it does seem to be a succession to the chain wiring on earlier necklaces. By the 60s and 70s, holes in cloisonne beads had been diminished severely from the giant holes in the 1920s-40s, but they're still much larger than, for example, pearl holes. So if one isn't using wire links, then fabric cord has to accommodate different hole sizes - a knot that won't slip through a gemstone bead will slip right through a cloisonne bead. Thus double knotting.
And there's a trick to tying the double knot exactly where you want it, tight alongside the bead. The usual instructions simply go along the lines of "do two overhand loops and pull from both ends," but that doesn't work for precise placement. Hence the twist-and-flip method that takes a bit of practice, same as pearl knotting.
There also seems to be a progression in silver filigree clasps, that I'm still collecting examples of. Earlier? clasps on the better necklaces are well made, then deteriorating to the sloppy and cheap plated clasps of the 80s and 90s - fitting accompaniments to the sloppy cloisonne beads from these same decades.
There is a very specific way to make a double-back knot. If one is right handed, the second loop must be to the left of the first loop—and the free end passes from left to right through the loops. The second loop is used to tighten the first loop, and bring it close to the last bead. Then, the free end is used to close the second loop. Since the Chinese were using two cords, it is possible to divide the cords, and pull them apart to further tighten the knot.
If these steps are not taken, the knot can be a disaster.
