Tang Dynasty (618-907A.D)

L60cm；W78cm

        This highly decorative textile features blooming large petalled hexagonal flowers in tender green on a dominant yellow ground. Examples of Tang dynasty floral medallion motifs are abundant among excavated textiles from Dulan, Qinghai and Furfan, Xinjiang, as well as onmurals in Dunhuang. Tang floral medallions fall into four basic types, namely,in forms of petals, in buds, which is a highly decorative type, in profile view and in mini scenes surrounded by birds, bees or butterflies. This textile belongs to the second type, the buds, and is a typical example of the kind of decorative medallions marking the golden years of the Tang dynasty. Most published Tang medallion textiles are in fragments; intact pieces like this one are extremely rare. The weave is a 1:2 weft-faced compound twill, with yellow, white and light green wefts for figure. The repeat is 21.5cm in the warp direction and 22 cm in the weft direction. (XZ)