Physical description
Now pale blue and silvery beige silk damask showing circular medallion pattern with stylized Chinese character shou, meaning 'longevity' and in between these medallions the motif of a flaming jewel.
Place of Origin
China (probably, made)
Date
1300-1400 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Silk damask
Marks and inscriptions
shou
longevity
This particular Chinese character was to be used extensively on different kinds of objects from the Ming dynasty (1386-1644). There is not much evidence for its widespread use before this time, although the relative paucity of early surviving textiles should caution against making generalizations.
Dimensions
Height: 40.5 cm, Width: 30 cm
Object history note
Historical significance: Early example of Chinese silk trade.
Historical context note
This fragment is part of a group of Chinese silks in the V&A collection, broadly dated between the late thirteenth century and the mid-fifteenth century, and supposedly came from the medieval urban centre of Fustat in Egypt. The pattern of this silk in pale blue and silvery beige consists of a circular medallion with the stylized Chinese character shou, meaning 'longevity', and motif of a flaming jewel that fills the spaces in between these medallions (compared with 754-1898, it is shown in the correct orientation). The weaving may have been carried out in China and the silks then exported westwards, or it could have been done outside China by Islamic craftsmen familiar with Chinese patterning.
The staining may be due to their having been buried, although no archeological report exist.
Similar textiles have not been found in China and it is possible that these silks were made specially for the Mamluk empire (1250-1517). From surviving Mamluk textiles, it seems that blue was a favoured colour. Mamluk and other textiles from the Islamic world are known to incorporate scripts into their designs, so the inclusion of a longevity ideograph may have been a deliberate move.
Descriptive line
Silk damask fragment in pale blue and silvery beige with longevity character, China, 14th century
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Wilson, Verity: Chinese Textiles (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Far Eastern Series, 2005), pp.21-22, fig. 18
Production Note
Allegedly excavated in Fustat, Egypt
Materials
Silk
Techniques
Damask weave
Subjects depicted
Medallion
Categories
Archaeology; Images Online; Textiles
Collection
East Asia Collection