Period:Tang dynasty Production date:8thC(late)-9thC
Materials:silk, 絲綢 (Chinese),
Technique:woven, clamp resist-dyed, 織造 (Chinese), 夾纈 (Chinese),
Subjects:phoenix (?) bird 鳳凰 (Chinese) 鳥 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Length: 33 centimetres Width: 13 centimetres
Description:
These are three rectangular fragments of silk damask further patterned by the clamp-resist dyeing technique, showing only parts of a very large design. In a roundel of intertwining bands is a crouching griffin with its spotted back and tail in palmette style. Outside of the roundels is another griffin (probably), indicated by a spotted leg, a claw and a palmette tail. Above the roundel are two clouds. The griffin’s head, wings and tail, as well as the roundel, are in blue while a yellowish brown is used for the other parts. The textile is a damask on 1/1 plain weave, with a tiny diamond pattern which repeats 1 cm in the warp and 0.4 cm in the weft direction. The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, thought to embody power and majesty. Legend tells that the creatures would roam the Central Asian steppes where they guarded gold and precious stones from strangers. The griffin motif was widely used along the Silk Road after Alexander’s conquests in the East, but it did not appear on silk until the Tang dynasty. Similar textiles include a fragment with an intact griffin’s tail excavated in Mochevaya Balka, Russia; and a damask excavated at Dulan, Qinghai. The fragment with the spotted leg, claw and tail is not part of the same roundel as the other two fragments, although it is possible they were once part of the same textile. Weave structures: Warp: silk, untwisted, single, 52 ends/cm; Weft: silk, untwisted, 20 lats/cm. Weave structure: 2-2 patterning weave on 1/1 plain weave ground weave.
IMG
![图片[1]-textile; 紡織品(Chinese) BM-MAS.944.b-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Tang dynasty/43/mid_00014198_003.jpg)
![图片[2]-textile; 紡織品(Chinese) BM-MAS.944.b-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Tang dynasty/43/00154232_001.jpg)
![图片[3]-textile; 紡織品(Chinese) BM-MAS.944.b-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Tang dynasty/43/00154233_001.jpg)
Comments:
Materials:silk, 絲綢 (Chinese),
Technique:woven, clamp resist-dyed, 織造 (Chinese), 夾纈 (Chinese),
Subjects:phoenix (?) bird 鳳凰 (Chinese) 鳥 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Length: 33 centimetres Width: 13 centimetres
Description:
These are three rectangular fragments of silk damask further patterned by the clamp-resist dyeing technique, showing only parts of a very large design. In a roundel of intertwining bands is a crouching griffin with its spotted back and tail in palmette style. Outside of the roundels is another griffin (probably), indicated by a spotted leg, a claw and a palmette tail. Above the roundel are two clouds. The griffin’s head, wings and tail, as well as the roundel, are in blue while a yellowish brown is used for the other parts. The textile is a damask on 1/1 plain weave, with a tiny diamond pattern which repeats 1 cm in the warp and 0.4 cm in the weft direction. The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, thought to embody power and majesty. Legend tells that the creatures would roam the Central Asian steppes where they guarded gold and precious stones from strangers. The griffin motif was widely used along the Silk Road after Alexander’s conquests in the East, but it did not appear on silk until the Tang dynasty. Similar textiles include a fragment with an intact griffin’s tail excavated in Mochevaya Balka, Russia; and a damask excavated at Dulan, Qinghai. The fragment with the spotted leg, claw and tail is not part of the same roundel as the other two fragments, although it is possible they were once part of the same textile. Weave structures: Warp: silk, untwisted, single, 52 ends/cm; Weft: silk, untwisted, 20 lats/cm. Weave structure: 2-2 patterning weave on 1/1 plain weave ground weave.
IMG
Comments:
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