Decorative Silk Samples

This page contains no written text but displays a series of vertical panels featuring patterned silk A natural protein fiber produced by silkworms, used for millennia in China to create luxury textiles for clothing and bookbinding. textiles. These samples likely represent the various materials used for the decorative mounting The process of backing a paper manuscript with silk and additional paper layers to create a durable, rollable scroll. of the Leifeng Pagoda manuscripts.

Textile Varieties and Motifs

The collection includes several distinct types of fabric:

• Beige and Silver Damask: A reversible, patterned fabric featuring intricate woven medallion patterns Circular decorative motifs that were highly popular during the Tang and Song dynasties, often featuring floral or animal designs..
• Peach and Blue Brocade: A rich fabric woven with multi-colored threads to create raised floral motifs.
• Greenish-Gold Silk: A shimmering textile displaying a repeating pattern of botanical elements.

These fragments provide a rare visual record of 10th-century textile technology and the aesthetic preferences of the era in which the Leifeng Pagoda was constructed.