Sutra Cover with Prunus Scroll
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Silk satin damask
Dimensions
Overall: 5 x 14 1/4 in. (12.7 x 36.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.186.24
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Sutra Cover with Prunus Scroll*, crafted in the 16th century during China's Ming dynasty (13681644), is a woven masterpiece of silk satin damask just 5 x 14¼ inches (12.7 x 36.2 cm). Produced by an unknown artist, it served as a protective wrapper for sutras—sacred scriptures rolled into scrolls. The intricate prunus (plum blossom) scroll pattern, with its flowing branches and delicate blooms, evokes the resilience of plum trees that flower amid winter's chill, a cherished symbol of perseverance and renewal in Chinese culture. Ming dynasty textiles like this one highlight the ...