What is tassel

The indented or tesselated border surrounding the chequered pavement is read by Wilmshurst as representing Divine Presence and Providence, which surrounds and embraces temporal human existence and its inherent dualities 1. In this interpretation, while the black and white floorwork symbolizes the dualistic world of opposing forces—such as light and dark, good and evil—the surrounding border represents the divine enclosure encompassing those opposites 1.

The indented tassel, or rope with tassels at the corners, is traditionally classed among the ornaments of the lodge alongside the mosaic pavement and the blazing star 2. Early masonic records contain little explicit explanation for why the border and tassels were combined with the pavement, leading symbologists to treat them as separate symbolisms despite their constant combination on early tracing boards 2.