Makaras, Phoenixes and Flowers
Unknown Artist
1200s
Medium
lampas, silk and gold thread
Dimensions
51.3 × 75.6 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1991.5
About this artwork
Central Asian designers drew from a wide variety of motifs, both imaginary and real. In this silk, rows of soaring phoenixes alternate with rows of makaras. Combining a fish body and tail, wings, and a dragon's head, the makara originated in India as a water creature. With the spread of Buddhism, the motif migrated into the art of Central Asia and, from there, into the art of northern China. In Italy, exotic Central Asian patterns such as this inspired flights of imagination. One such example (s...