Sutra cover with dragons and phoenixes amid clouds

16th century

Not on view

Luxury silk features prominently in covers of Buddhist sutras commissioned by the Ming court. Ornamental patterns on these textiles often reflect a standard design from the imperial workshop. Here, dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds are rendered in the same style as those found on sixteenth-century imperial ceramics and lacquerware.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

明中期絲織花紗龍鳳祥雲紋佛經封皮
Title: Sutra cover with dragons and phoenixes amid clouds
Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Date: 16th century
Culture: China
Medium: Plain weave in silk with supplementary weft patterning
Dimensions: Overall: 13 1/2 x 4 3/4 in. (34.3 x 12.1cm)
Classification: Textiles-Woven
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1946
Object Number: 46.186.51
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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