7th-8th century
A red tapestry band features dancers and plant motifs. The red squares outlined in white contain four multicolored dancers with raised arms woven in yellow, pink, and blue wefts. Each dancer has three legs—perhaps they are centaurs. Between each pair of dancers is a small white plant. Teal rectangular fields contain red medallions with a single human dancer. Outside the medallion are plant motifs formed out of simple lines, dots, and heart-shaped leaves. A dark blue wave scroll border outlined in white runs down both sides of the band. Undyed fabric survives on both sides of the band and probably made up the ground of this textile.
19.1 x 66 cm (7 1/2 x 26 in.)
Silk brocaded lampas
18th centuryItalian?Handwoven maguey fiber
20th centuryAmericanPolychrome silk-floss embroidery in satin stitch on a dark blue silk damask ground and gold thread border
19th centuryKoreanCompound weave brown silk with supplementary gold wefts; selected motifs embroidered in polychrome silk threads
19th centuryJapaneseTextile fibers
20th centuryGermanRed silk twill with embroidered decoration
18th-19th centuryChineseBook of swatches mounted on paper (56 sheets)
19th-20th centuryJapaneseCamel's hair