Textile with Pearl Roundels with Dragons

China or Central Asia

Not on view

The decorative use of rows of pearls ultimately derives from Sasanian Iran. The dragon has been a significant presence in Chinese art for thousands of years, but those depicted here have no heads. A flaw in the weave program may explain this anomaly, or the textile may have been woven in Central Asia, where the dragon motif was less well understood.

Textile with Pearl Roundels with Dragons, Silk, China or Central Asia

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