Fragment from a Garment (smaller fragment, outer layer)

This textile preserves part of an overall design of large, radiating floral motifs arranged in staggered, horizontal rows. In the spaces between are pairs of flying cranes and cloud scrolls that are common motifs in Liao paintings and decorative arts. The loose structure of the pattern and the naturalism of the motifs represent the final evolution of a pattern that had originated in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907).