Canopy: Dragon Among Flowers
Canopy: Dragon Among Flowers, China, Tapestry: Southern Song dynasty (1127-1270), late 12 century; Border: Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 15th century 1400s
Tapestry (kesi): silk and gold Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), late 1100s Border: lampas; silk and gold China, 1400s, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1995.1 (Cat. no. 22) This silk tapestry is a very rare example of kesi produced in the Southern Song imperial workshops. Kesi was introduced to the south after the Southern Song court had established itself in Hangzhou in 1127. Although Eastern Central Asian designs (which had dominated Northern Song kesi) prevailed for a time, they became increasingly Chinese in style. Here, the dragon against a ground of flowers is Central Asian, as are the dragon's up-turned snout, flaming mane, and antlers. However, the watery, serpentlike treatment of the dragon's body is Chinese in style. The weaving, moreover, is much more refined and smooth than it is in Northern Song or Eastern Central Asian kesi. At an unknown point in time, the tapestry was sewn to a border with tabs in the corners, probably to serve as a canopy. 
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