明 織錦經面|Sutra cover
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Plain-weave silk with supplementary weft patterning
Dimensions
Overall: 13 11/16 x 4 7/8 x 1/4 in. (34.8 x 12.4 x 0.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, in honor of James C. Y. Watt, 2011
Accession Number
2011.221.21
Art Historical Context
This exquisite sutra cover, crafted in 16th-century Ming dynasty China, served as a protective and reverential wrapping for Buddhist scriptures. During the Ming period (1368–1644), a golden age of artistic refinement and imperial patronage, such textiles embodied deep spiritual devotion. Sutras—sacred Buddhist texts—were often enshrined in ornate covers like this one, blending utility with profound symbolism to honor the dharma and safeguard holy writings from wear. Woven from plain-weave silk with supplementary weft patterning—a sophisticated technique where additional colored threads float ...