Cleveland Museum of Art

Brocade with Djeiran Gazing at the Moon

Date

1115–1234

Medium

Silk and gold thread; tabby, brocaded

Culture

China, Jin dynasty (1115-1234)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The mysterious image of a deerlike animal gazing up at the moon among clouds has been variously interpreted over many centuries. The animal, lying down with one foreleg extended and looking back, originated as a djeiran , or Central Asian antelope. Commonly appearing on Sogdian silver from the 600s onward, the motif migrated via the trade routes to northern China. There, during the Jin and Yuan (1279–1368) dynasties, it was very popular and always depicted with the moon supported by clouds. Chinese writers often identify the djeiran as the mythical rhinoceros ( xi'niu ) that is said to gaze at the moon, or as the cow of Wu "panting upon seeing the moon." The gold-brocaded pattern is repeated in staggered rows with alternating orientations.

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