LaurieAnnie's photos with the keyword: silk

Title: Textile Fragment with Bird, Dragon, and Palmette Motifs Date: 13th century Culture: Italian Medium: Silk and metallic threads Dimensions: Overall: 15 1/4 x 9 3/8 in. (38.7 x 23.8 cm) Framed: 19 1/2 x 13 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (49.5 x 34.3 x 3.8 cm) Classification: Textiles-Woven Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1912 Accession Number: 12.166.4 On View Description: The exceptional condition and quality of this silk, enriched with gold and highlights in red, are characteristic of the Sicilian royal workshops. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/mediev... and Textiles The silk workshops in Palermo were among the finest in the Mediterranean. Created for royalty, the church, and the aristocracy, luxurious fabrics and embroideries from these workshops were inspired by Eastern and Islamic traditions as well as by those from Byzantium. Both the technique and decoration of this textile exemplify the fertile interchange between several diverse cultural traditions. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art plaque.

Fragment Object Name: Fragment Date: 7th–8th century Geography: probably Egypt or Syria Medium: Silk Dimensions: 5 in. high 5.12 in. wide (12.5 cm high 13 cm wide) Classification: Textiles-Woven Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1946 Accession Number: 46.156.18a Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/1400... Silk, one of the most luxurious fibers used to create textiles, is made from the cocoon filaments produced by several species of moth. Originating from China, Central Asia, and India, silk first reached the Mediterranean during the Roman period via a network of land and sea trade routes. Byzantine domestic silk production began in AD 553-54, under Justinian I, when silk-moth eggs were introduced to the region; the silk industry eventually became a major element of the Byzantine economy. This fragment depicts a male figure dressed in a tunic and with a pallium draped over his shoulders. He holds a cross in one hand and a pike in the other, which he uses to keep a serpent at bay. A border of leaves and flowers frames the images. An identical, though complete, example is housed in the Musee des Tissus et des Arts decoratifs, Lyon. Bands such as these were woven separately as decorative elements and were applied to garments. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.