Textile with floral medallions

8th century
Not on view
This extremely rare and elegant textile is identical to an eighth-century example preserved in Shōsōin, a famous treasury in the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan, that houses imperial gifts from Tang-dynasty China. These works were given to the temple by the Japanese Empress Kōmyō in 756 and continue to serve as important pieces for the study of the art of Tang China.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 唐 紫地團花紋“正倉院”錦
  • Title: Textile with floral medallions
  • Period: Tang dynasty (618–907)
  • Date: 8th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Weft-faced compound silk twill
  • Dimensions: Overall: 7 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. (18.4 x 19.7 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Woven
  • Credit Line: Seymour Fund, 1965
  • Object Number: 65.213.2
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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