Cleveland Museum of Art

Textile with Tiny Leaves

Date

1275–1350

Medium

Silk and gold thread; tabby with supplementary weft

Culture

Central Asia, Il-khanid (Mongol) period

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

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