Textile with Tiny Leaves
Unknown Artist
1275–1350
Medium
Silk and gold thread; tabby with supplementary weft
Dimensions
14.5 × 15.5 cm · mounted: 30.5 × 33.7 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
1985.33
About this artwork
The shimmering gold of the tiny scattered leaves in this silk perfectly suited the taste of the Mongol court. Showing no Chinese or eastern Iranian influence, this type of pattern appears to have been indigenous to eastern Central Asia. The closest parallels to the tiny leaves densely strewn across the surface are found among the silk tapestries of the Uyghurs.