id: 156983 accession number: 1993.139 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1993.139 updated: 2021-06-09 09:01:52.452000 Textile with Diamonds, 1000s. Central Asia, 11th century. Tabby with supplementary weft; silk, cotton and silver thread; overall: 51.5 x 30.3 cm (20 1/4 x 11 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1993.139 title: Textile with Diamonds title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1000s creation date earliest: 1000 creation date latest: 1099 current location: creditline: John L. Severance Fund copyright: --- culture: Central Asia, 11th century technique: tabby with supplementary weft; silk, cotton and silver thread department: Textiles collection: Textiles type: Textile find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 51.5 x 30.3 cm (20 1/4 x 11 15/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian & Chinese Textiles from the Cleveland and Metropolitan Museums of Art opening date: 1997-10-19T00:00:00 When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian & Chinese Textiles from the Cleveland and Metropolitan Museums of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (organizer) (March 2-May 17, 1998). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: Few Central Asian luxury silks dating from the 10th-11th centuries have survived. Here the cotton wefts, together with thin, widely spaced silk warps, identify this example as Central Asian. Its date has been determined by comparing it with two related textiles that are securely dated. At this time Chinese silks with small-scale diamond patterns were usually reserved for undergarments or linings. The use of silver thread for the tiny diamonds in this example, however, may indicate that in Central Asia the design had greater importance. Over time, this textile made its way to Europe, where it was preserved in a church treasury. Because such textiles were expensive, rare, and sometimes associated with saints, they were highly valued regardless of their condition. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Watt, James C. Y., Anne E. Wardwell, and Morris Rossabi. When silk was gold: Central Asian and Chinese textiles. 1997. page number: p. 50-1, figure 7, p. 28 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1993.139/1993.139_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1993.139/1993.139_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1993.139/1993.139_full.tif