A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric decoration. The tassel is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.

History and use

In the Western World tassels were originally a series of windings of thread or string around a suspending string until the desired curvature was attained. Decades later, turned wooden moulds, which were either covered in simple wrappings or much more elaborate coverings called "satinings", were used. This involved an intricate binding of bands of filament silk vertically around the mould by means of an internal "lacing" in the bore of the mould.

These constructions were varied and augmented with extensive ornamentations that were each assigned an idiosyncratic term by their French practitioners. In France those practitioners were called "Passementiers", and an apprenticeship of seven years was required to become a master in one of the subdivisions of the guild. The French widely exported their very artistic work, and at such low prices that no other nation developed a mature "trimmings" industry. Tassels and their associated forms changed style throughout the years, from the small and casual of Renaissance designs, through the medium sizes and more staid designs of the Empire period, and to the Victorian Era with the largest and most elaborate. 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.

Tassels (also called tufts) were traditionally worn by Oxford and Cambridge University undergraduates on their caps (hence a slang word - tassel for an undergraduate), those wearing gold tassels were titled sons of the peers who had a right of vote in the House of Lords.

From Wikipedia under the GNU Free Documentation License
Thu Feb 18 15:15:00 2010

What side of the mortar board does a tassel go before you graduate?
Q. What side of the mortar board does a tassel go before you graduate?
Asked by zoey noel - Wed Dec 12 14:02:25 2007 - - 6 Answers - 0 Comments

A. The Tassel goes on the Right side of the mortar board until you receive your diploma, then you put it on the Left.
Answered by Joker Stokes - Wed Dec 12 14:15:25 2007

Curtain tassel tiebacks?
Q. Are there any websites that shows different ways to use the cutain tassel tiebacks? I am putting up curtains in my new home and would like info on different ways to tie the tiebacks. Thanks
Asked by Shay - Mon Oct 8 08:38:53 2007 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. what about the display photos in jc penney.com or bed bath and beyond, linens n things, fortunoffs. Usually when they show a photo of their curtains they show different ways of hanging the curtains and the accesories
Answered by brown eyed girl - Mon Oct 8 08:50:31 2007

During graduation, what side does the tassel go on before you graduate?
Q. During graduation, what side does the tassel go on before you graduate?
Asked by Faith838 - Thu May 24 21:28:33 2007 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Nooo... before you graduate, left side. After you are handed your diploma, it goes on the right side. ** Actually, I guess it depends. When I graduated, we did it as I mentioned above. Looking at an article on wikipedia, though, it says: The tassel The tassel may be colored differently from the traditional black to represent the field in which the wearer obtained his or her education, or at the high school level, may be the school's colors. Universities in the United States also often use tassels that both match the school's colors. The tassel may be adorned with a charm in the shape of the digits of the year. In most graduation ceremonies, the side on which the tassel hangs is important. Sometimes it is consistent among all students… [cont.]
Answered by 07_ShelbyGT500 - Thu May 24 21:36:10 2007

From Yahoo Answer Search: "Tassel"
Wed Jul 15 17:15:54 2009

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From Google News Search: "Tassel"
Fri Dec 4 20:16:07 2009

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Master Class Lynn Horniblow Chinese Tassel Machine embroidered and hand edged in beaded cinq point de Venise

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From Yahoo Image Search: "Tassel"
Thu Oct 22 03:53:12 2009

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Night owls to be caught on camera - BBC News
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Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:10:33 GM

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This week with Syrens of the South! - Ministry Of Burlesque

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Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:46:53 GM

This week with Syrens of the South! . Tassel. Bot . Tassel. Bot is offline Yesterday, 08:46 PM. ( Official Press Release Under Cut! ) ... . Tassel. Bot's Avatar. . Tassel. Bot. Senior Member. Join Date: May 2009. Posts: 483. Show Printable Version ...

From Google Blog Search: "Tassel"
Fri Aug 14 19:24:09 2009