Knotted embroidery originated in ancient China; the oldest example of it dates from the Warring States period in the form a pair of silk shoes.
[1] Knotted embroidery were also used on the mandarin square of the Ming and Qing court clothing of officials.
[5] Embroideries tradition which started in China were passed to other countries through the Silk Road.
[6] Embroideries from China and Western Asia were imported to the British Isles, North America and Western Europe by the British East India Company in the 1690s along with many other traded goods.
[3] Knotted edgings are used as a decorative trims, and can also be used to fill open spaces in cutwork and in needlelace.