Tassel

The religious Hebrew tassel, however, bears little resemblance to the decorative one which appeared and eventually became popular in Europe, especially France and Spain.

During the Middle Ages tassels were widely used in Spain as ornamentation for horses, called borla from the Latin term burrula which means "wool of little value".

The French widely exported their very artistic work, and at such low prices that no other European nation developed a mature "trimmings" industry.

Some of these designs are returning today from the European and American artisans, who may charge a thousand dollars for a single hand-made tassel.

In Egypt, Mesopotamia, and throughout the Arab world tassels were worn by children on hoods or caps to protect them from malevolent spirits and ward off demons.

Diagram of a tassel
Illustration of various tassels, from A Handbook of Ornament , by Franz Sales Meyer
Tassels of a bed from Paris, circa 1782–1783, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)
Making a tassel from yarn