Cloth of Gold: Displayed Falcons
Unknown Artist
mid-1200s
Medium
Silk and gold thread, lampas
Dimensions
57.5 × 18.4 cm · mounted: 67.9 × 29.8 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
Accession Number
1996.297
About this artwork
Mongol ceremonial robes, known as zhisun, were made from textiles woven with gold and silk of one color. These were given by Mongol emperors to members of the court to be worn during festivals and on important occasions that usually included lavish banquets. Like the Winged Lions and Griffins (CMA 1989.50), the design of this silk is a uniquely Central Asian synthesis of eastern Iranian and Chinese elements. Motifs and technical details shared by the two silks, moreover, leave no doubt that they...