Cleveland Museum of Art

Child’s Coat with Ducks in Pearl Medallions

Date

700s

Medium

Silk: weft-faced compound twill weave (samite)

Culture

Probably Sogdia (present-day Uzbekistan)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The coat’s outer fabric is woven in five brilliant colors featuring paired ducks in pearl roundels, hallmarks of the precious and highly desired silks from Sogdia. The coat’s inner lining is a twill damask with a floral pattern made in China. The combination of Sogdian and Chinese silks in one garment with Tibetan ownership history is evidence of the vital exchange and cultural interaction among the peoples living along the trade routes of the Silk Road. This precious coat was presumably made for a Tibetan prince. Given the coat’s pristine condition, though, it is unclear whether the garment was ever worn, or was used as a diplomatic gift or perhaps as currency. This coat is part of a set of garments that originally included an outer pair of pants and silk boots made from the same fabric.

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