Date:late 8th–9th century Culture:China or Central Asia Medium:Silk Dimensions:Max height (warp): 18 1/8 in. (46 cm) Max width (weft): 24 7/16 in. (62.1 cm) Classification:Textiles-Woven Credit Line:Purchase, Barbara and William Karatz Gift, 1998 Accession Number:1998.147 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.
Date:late 8th–9th century Culture:China or Central Asia Medium:Silk Dimensions:Max height (warp): 18 1/8 in. (46 cm) Max width (weft): 24 7/16 in. (62.1 cm) Classification:Textiles-Woven Credit Line:Purchase, Barbara and William Karatz Gift, 1998 Accession Number:1998.147 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.