Dragons chasing flaming pearls 14th century Unidentified This textile exemplifies one of the most brilliant and successful cross-cultural exchanges in Chinese textile history. It is an excellent example of the luxury silks woven in the Yuan dynasty when China was under Mongol rule. Known as nasij or “cloth of gold,” this type of textile, featuring patterns in gold thread against a single color silk foundation, was used to make robes for the Mongol court. The use of gold thread reflects the influence of Central Asian textiles. However, the motif of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl is entirely C


Dragons chasing flaming pearls 14th century Unidentified This textile exemplifies one of the most brilliant and successful cross-cultural exchanges in Chinese textile history. It is an excellent example of the luxury silks woven in the Yuan dynasty when China was under Mongol rule. Known as nasij or “cloth of gold,” this type of textile, featuring patterns in gold thread against a single color silk foundation, was used to make robes for the Mongol court. The use of gold thread reflects the influence of Central Asian textiles. However, the motif of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl is entirely Chinese. Its technical details, such as the flat paper substrate of the gold thread and the twisted z warps, are typical of textiles produced in north China from the late thirteenth to the fourteenth century. Such luxury silks began to be produced in north China following the resettlement of artisans from Central Asia to Dadu (now Beijing) by Khubilai Khan (r. 1260-94) in 1275. The ruyi cloud motif on the current piece is commonly seen on Chinese works of art in different media in the fourteenth century, which helps to date this Dragons chasing flaming pearls. Unidentified Artist, Chinese, 14th century. China. 14th century. Silk lampas with supplementary metal thread wefts. Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). Textiles-Woven


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