Back to album

Cloth of gold with winged lions and griffins

Cloth of gold with winged lions and griffins

 

Artist and nationality:

Title: Cloth of gold with winged lions and griffins

date/date range of the artwork: 1225 - 1275

period or dynasty : unknown

country of origin: Central Asia

Materials: Silk and Gold Thread (lampas) 124 x 48.8 cm

Location: not on view

 

Cloth of gold with winged lions and griffins is a beautiful golden tapestry that was created between 1225 and 1275 in Central Asia. Now being housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art where it currently is not on display, the cloth has a gorgeous pattern of winged lions and griffins inside and between large golden circles.The edges to its right are slightly frayed but sewn in a way that would be the end of the cloth. The background instead of negative space is filled in with painstaking details woven into the cloth which were thought to be inspired by Iranian culture, and the lions and griffons inspired by chinese art styles and culture.The technique that the cloth was woven in is considered to be created by Iran, and the imagery of the mythical beasts that are fabricated come from chinese mythology and are seen as signs of strength, courage and nobility.

 

If you would like to learn more about it, please visit the Cleveland Museum of Art in person (although this work is not on display at the moment, but you can certainly ask more about it or other works like it.), or virtually at www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.50

 

177 views
0 faves
0 comments
Uploaded on April 26, 2021