Phaa Sabai, ceremonial shoulder cloth or wrap with four-petalled kan yang flower pattern and triple end-border

19th and early 20th century

Not on view

This group of Siamese textiles are representative of the silk textiles worn by court officials and nobility in later 19th and early 20th century Bangkok. Such garments were worn when officiating at court related functions and state ceremonies. They conform to the strict sumptuary dress codes in force in Siam, and as such represent important classes of traditional textiles deployed in the Siamese court in the Rattanakosin era (1782–1932). Textiles, the finest of which were reputed to be woven in the homes of noble families expressly for use at court, formed a key component of court etiquette, serving as demarcators of the office and social rank of the wearer.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Title: Phaa Sabai, ceremonial shoulder cloth or wrap with four-petalled kan yang flower pattern and triple end-border
Period: Rattanakosin period
Date: 19th and early 20th century
Culture: Thailand
Medium: Silk and silk-and-gilt metal thread border
Dimensions: 37 1/4 in. × 9 ft. 3 1/2 in. (94.6 × 283.2 cm)
Classification: Textiles
Credit Line: Gift of Kathleen Haines Gotschlich, in memory of Emil Claus Gotschlich, 2026
Object Number: 2026.288.5
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

Border, Cotton; embroidered in silk and silver-gilt tinsel — Border
19th century

Pha Yok, ceremonial waist cloth, Silk brocade centerfield and silk-and-gilt metal thread border, Central Thailand — Pha Yok, ceremonial waist cloth
Central Thailand
19th and early 20th century

Quilt, Central panel and outer border: silk, embroidered with silk and gilt-paper-wrapped thread; inner border: silk damask, Chinese, for European market, and European — Quilt
Chinese, for European market, and European
central panel and outer border: 17th century; inner border: second half of 17th century

Viscount Admiral Lord Nelson, Bust: gold wire, glass paste; anchor and border: glass, half-pearls, human hair; frame: gold wire, silk, copper-gilt, British — Viscount Admiral Lord Nelson
British
ca. 1805

Dress border, Silver sequins on silk, French — Dress border
French
1805–15

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.