COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1993.158.1-2
amicoid
CMA_.1993.158.1-2
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Textiles
oty
Textiles
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Chinese
crc
Chinese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Northern China, Liao dynasty (907-1125)
crt
Northern China, Liao dynasty (907-1125)
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Imperial Boots
otn
Imperial Boots
Title
false
Title Type:
Primary
ott
Primary
Title Type
false
View:
Full View
rid
Full View
View
false
Creation Date:
907 - 1125
oct
907 - 1125
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
907
ocs
907
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1125
oce
1125
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
outer fabric: silk tapestry, gilded; facing: gauze, silk; lining: tabby silk; sole: self-patterned twill, silk and tabby, silk; silk batting
omd
outer fabric: silk tapestry, gilded; facing: gauze, silk; lining: tabby silk; sole: self-patterned twill, silk and tabby, silk; silk batting
Materials and Techniques
false
Style or Period:
Northern China
std
Northern China
Style or Period
false
Dimensions:
Overall: 47.5cm x 30.8cm
met
Overall: 47.5cm x 30.8cm
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
oon
The Cleveland Museum of Art
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
oop
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1993.158.1
ooa
1993.158.1
ID Number
false
ID Number:
1993.158.2
ooa
1993.158.2
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
ooc
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html"target="_new">http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html</a>
Rights
false
Context:
In the early tenth century, Qidan tribesmen of Manchuria established an empire they called the Liao by taking over northern China and much of Mongolia. Although historical records and wall paintings depicting Qidan life testify to the importance of luxury textiles to Liao culture, relatively few have survived. Among these is a pair of knee-high boots that belonged to a female member of the royal family.The outer fabric of the boots is silk and gold tapestry, the lining is silk, and the silk batting in between is for warmth. The soles are made of silk, and the opening at the top is finished with a gauze facing. The silk tapestry is woven with a design of paired phoenixes chasing flaming pearls amid scrolling clouds. The tapestry was carefully cut so that a flaming pearl flanked by phoenixes occurs at the center of the shin, another at the center of the calf, while a third is centered on the instep. The design of the latter was reduced in scale in order to accommodate the smaller area of the instep. On both boots, the gold thread has largely disintegrated, leaving traces of gold leaf on the warps.Boots such as these formed part of a costume that consisted of layers of clothing. One aristocratic woman found in a tenth-century Liao tomb, for example, was dressed in pants that tied at the waist and were tucked into knee-high boots made of silk tapestry. Over these she wore a skirt, a knee-length jacket, an outer full-length robe with wide sleeves, a hat, and gloves.Although few examples of silk and gold tapestry survive from the Liao empire, it was highly esteemed by the Qidan. The Liaoshi (history of the Liao dynasty) describes a red silk-tapestry robe worn by the emperor himself. In the West, where such textiles are little known, these boots are important evidence of the high artistic and technical achievements of tapestry weavers within the Liao empire. A.W.
cxd
In the early tenth century, Qidan tribesmen of Manchuria established an empire they called the Liao by taking over northern China and much of Mongolia. Although historical records and wall paintings depicting Qidan life testify to the importance of luxury textiles to Liao culture, relatively few have survived. Among these is a pair of knee-high boots that belonged to a female member of the royal family.The outer fabric of the boots is silk and gold tapestry, the lining is silk, and the silk batting in between is for warmth. The soles are made of silk, and the opening at the top is finished with a gauze facing. The silk tapestry is woven with a design of paired phoenixes chasing flaming pearls amid scrolling clouds. The tapestry was carefully cut so that a flaming pearl flanked by phoenixes occurs at the center of the shin, another at the center of the calf, while a third is centered on the instep. The design of the latter was reduced in scale in order to accommodate the smaller area of the instep. On both boots, the gold thread has largely disintegrated, leaving traces of gold leaf on the warps.Boots such as these formed part of a costume that consisted of layers of clothing. One aristocratic woman found in a tenth-century Liao tomb, for example, was dressed in pants that tied at the waist and were tucked into knee-high boots made of silk tapestry. Over these she wore a skirt, a knee-length jacket, an outer full-length robe with wide sleeves, a hat, and gloves.Although few examples of silk and gold tapestry survive from the Liao empire, it was highly esteemed by the Qidan. The Liaoshi (history of the Liao dynasty) describes a red silk-tapestry robe worn by the emperor himself. In the West, where such textiles are little known, these boots are important evidence of the high artistic and technical achievements of tapestry weavers within the Liao empire. A.W.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1993.158.1-2.tif
ril
CMA_.1993.158.1-2.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false