A string figure is any pattern produced when a looped string is spanned between two hands and is twisted and woven in various manners around the fingers and the wrists.
The combinations of crossings which can be realized in this way can be studied using
knot theory.
The string figure above is known as the Apache door (Jayne 1975, pp. 12-15, Fig. 21) or tent flap (Ball 1971, p. 5, Fig. 2).
The string figure illustrated above is known as "Jacob's ladder," Osage diamonds (Jayne 1975, pp. 24-27, Fig. 50), the fishing net, or quadruple diamonds (Ball 1971, p. 19, Fig. 7).
String figures, which belong to the ancient traditions of many peoples around the world, and are even present in primitive cultures, are nowadays considered as a recreational activity in mathematics education. In English-speaking countries they are also known as the children's game called "cat's cradle."
