Today’s word is: knot of love. We explain what this ornamental motif is and how it was used. As usual we analyze a piece of our antique gallery.

What is the love knot?

The love knot is an ornamental pattern consisting of a simple or double knot. It is generally formed by crinkled or braided ribbons .

The tape

To fully understand today’s word, we must first understand what tape is.

It is a decorative element that, intertwined, rippled or twisted into spiral shapes, swirls or more complicated designs, forms the so-called “ribbon decoration“. Thanks to this, it was possible to create particularly elaborate decorations.

The tape was particularly used by Dutch and French furniture makers. You don’t have to go that far to find a cabinetmaker who is very skilled with this decorative element. Giuseppe Maggiolini, in fact, used it very often to give greater grace to his works.

How was the love knot used?

The love knot had several uses. It was mainly used as a decoration of furniture and objects. It could be found inlaid or chiseled in bronze and applied to the furniture. The decoration was also used to fix bouquets on the panels.

The love knot was used in all styles of the past. We remember him particularly for his use in the Louis XVI style and also in the Empire style.

An example

To show you the knot of love we went in search of our warehouses full of wonders. We found a unique piece: a neoclassical sofa from Emilia.

It has the back consisting of four medallions with cymasa carved in rocaille and connected by carvings to grotesque masks (if you missed the explanation of this word, you can find it here!). The knot of love? You can find it in the lower band. In addition to this decorative element you can find rocaille carvings. It is made of walnut and the seat is upholstered.

Other names and uses

In the House of Savoy the love knot was widely used. In fact, in the decorations of the monuments and furniture of this house you could very often find this type of knot. Given the great use by the royal family, the knot is also called “Savoy knot“.

Another knot similar to the one analyzed today is the “knot of Hercules or Solomon“. This consists of an interweaving of lines whose extremes are not distinguished.

If you want to discover other antiques decorated with these knots you just have to come and visit our warehouses in Cambiago. We are waiting for you!