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Date unknown · Plain-weave silk brocaded with metallic thread · Asian Art

This textile represents the tradition of northern China's Jin dynasty, which was known for textiles brocaded in gold with offset asymmetrical motifs on a solid-colored background. The motif here is a coiled dragon with a flaming jewel. The coiled dragon, as a pattern for princes' robes, dates from the Tang dynasty and was also used for garments in the Song and Xixia dynasties. This example is an early instance of a dragon with five claws. It is woven in a variant of the brocading technique first seen in a Jin-dynasty princely tomb of 1162.

Artist

Unknown

Date

Date unknown

Medium

Plain-weave silk brocaded with metallic thread

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Lisbet Holmes, 1989