Period: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
Medium: Silk
Dimensions: 36.8cm X 13cm
Introduction: Book covers for Buddhist sutras are known as “sutra wrappers” which are used for both the front and back of a book. Usually pasted center front onto the cover is a stripe of yellow paper for inscription, indicating the title and volume number of a book. This piece of book cover is gold brocaded satin in material which was in a variety of applications during the Ming dynasty and overwhelmingly so as a chosen material for sutra covers, with frontal lotus among fret pattern on a red ground. (XY)