COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1995.1
amicoid
CMA_.1995.1
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Textiles
oty
Textiles
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
crc
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
China
cdt
China
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
China, Tapestry: Southern Song dynasty (1127-1270), late 12 century; Border: Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 15th century
crt
China, Tapestry: Southern Song dynasty (1127-1270), late 12 century; Border: Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 15th century
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Canopy: Dragon Among Flowers
otn
Canopy: Dragon Among Flowers
Title
false
Title Type:
Primary
ott
Primary
Title Type
false
View:
Full View
rid
Full View
View
false
Creation Date:
late 12th century
oct
late 12th century
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1166
ocs
1166
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1199
oce
1199
Creation End Date
false
Creation Date:
1400s
oct
1400s
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1400
ocs
1400
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1499
oce
1499
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
tapestry: silk and gold. Border: lampas; silk and gold
omd
tapestry: silk and gold. Border: lampas; silk and gold
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Tapestries
clt
Tapestries
Classification Term
false
Classification Term:
Tapestries
clt
Tapestries
Classification Term
false
Dimensions:
Overall: 87cm x 84.5cm
met
Overall: 87cm x 84.5cm
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:
1995.1
ooa
1995.1
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
John L. Severance Fund
ooc
John L. Severance 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:
This canopy consists of a silk and gold tapestry surrounded by a border of deep blue silk with a gold floral design. The tapestry preserves part of a large dragon surrounded by flowers. Although the serpentine treatment of the dragon is Chinese, its upturned snout and the floral setting derive from the earlier tapestry tradition of Central Asia. Characteristic of imperial tapestries of the Southern Song are the exceedingly fine quality of the weaving and the fact that the gold thread has been gilded on both sides (gilding on one side is most common). It is known from Chinese records that Southern Song emperors used silk tapestries to mount paintings and cover handscrolls belonging to the imperial collection. Dragons surrounded by flowers were one of four tapestry designs used for these purposes. The border is a Chinese silk and gold textile dating from the early Ming dynasty. The density of its design and the quantity of gold thread with which it was woven are typical of luxury silks produced in China at that time. There is no information about the history of the cover or canopy other than that it is said to have been preserved in Tibet. Gifts of precious objects including textiles, however, are known to have been made to Tibetan officials and monasteries by the Mongol and early Ming rulers of China. Very possibly, the kesi (silk tapestry) was an imperial gift sent after the Southern Song dynasty was defeated by Kublai Khan in 1279. By that time, Tibet had become a single state closely allied with the Mongol imperial family. Whether the kesi was sewn to the blue-and-gold border before or after it reached Tibet is impossible to say. Nevertheless, the corners and attached tabs have suffered from extensive handling, and both the border and the tapestry show evidence of having been folded for a long time. The textile was probably used on special occasions as a canopy held over a sacred object or holy person and was otherwise stored folded. A.W.
cxd
This canopy consists of a silk and gold tapestry surrounded by a border of deep blue silk with a gold floral design. The tapestry preserves part of a large dragon surrounded by flowers. Although the serpentine treatment of the dragon is Chinese, its upturned snout and the floral setting derive from the earlier tapestry tradition of Central Asia. Characteristic of imperial tapestries of the Southern Song are the exceedingly fine quality of the weaving and the fact that the gold thread has been gilded on both sides (gilding on one side is most common). It is known from Chinese records that Southern Song emperors used silk tapestries to mount paintings and cover handscrolls belonging to the imperial collection. Dragons surrounded by flowers were one of four tapestry designs used for these purposes. The border is a Chinese silk and gold textile dating from the early Ming dynasty. The density of its design and the quantity of gold thread with which it was woven are typical of luxury silks produced in China at that time. There is no information about the history of the cover or canopy other than that it is said to have been preserved in Tibet. Gifts of precious objects including textiles, however, are known to have been made to Tibetan officials and monasteries by the Mongol and early Ming rulers of China. Very possibly, the kesi (silk tapestry) was an imperial gift sent after the Southern Song dynasty was defeated by Kublai Khan in 1279. By that time, Tibet had become a single state closely allied with the Mongol imperial family. Whether the kesi was sewn to the blue-and-gold border before or after it reached Tibet is impossible to say. Nevertheless, the corners and attached tabs have suffered from extensive handling, and both the border and the tapestry show evidence of having been folded for a long time. The textile was probably used on special occasions as a canopy held over a sacred object or holy person and was otherwise stored folded. A.W.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1995.1.tif
ril
CMA_.1995.1.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false