Jin-silk Robe Fragment Featuring Confronted Phoenix Woven with Gold and Silver Threads

This piece, probably belonging to the front panel of a robe, was made of a rare compound weave known as “flower-adorned weft-faced jin-silk” which was woven by obscuring partial weft yarns with gold and silver threads.
The floral medallions feature confronted phoenix woven with gold and silver threads, encircled rings with a diameter of about 15 cm composed of small floral motifs woven with every five warp yarns crossing each two weft threads. The floral roundels with golden phoenix interlace with those of silver ones. Bearing strong difference to the Liao-dynasty pattern, the confronted phoenix on this item are typical of the Tang decoration art.