Silk with Dogs and Birds amid Vines
Unknown Artist
1350–1400
Medium
silk, gold thread; a combination of two weaves, 2/1 twill and plain weave (lampas)
Dimensions
21 × 34.9 cm · mounted: 29.2 × 43.2 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1977.14
About this artwork
Silks from China and the Islamic Near East introduced radically new designs with asymmetry and exotic animals around 1300, which Italian silk designers incorporated in an international style to compete with imports from the East. These large palmette leaves were adapted from Islamic silks whereas the recumbent deer, birds, and dogs (visible at the bottom) were popular Italian motifs. Textiles were lucrative commercial commodities during the Middle Ages. Intrepid Italian merchants traveled by lan...