Cleveland Museum of Art

Silk with Dogs and Birds amid Vines

Date

1350–1400

Medium

silk, gold thread; a combination of two weaves, 2/1 twill and plain weave (lampas)

Culture

Italy, second half of 14th century

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Silks from China and the Islamic Near East introduced radically new designs with asymmetry and exotic animals around 1300, which Italian silk designers incorporated in an international style to compete with imports from the East. These large palmette leaves were adapted from Islamic silks whereas the recumbent deer, birds, and dogs (visible at the bottom) were popular Italian motifs. Textiles were lucrative commercial commodities during the Middle Ages. Intrepid Italian merchants traveled by land and sea to China, Mongolia, India, and the Islamic Near East, led by the maritime republics of Venice and Genoa. The renowned Venetian, Marco Polo, published his overland journey across Asia to China in 1265.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.