Nasij Adorned with Phoenix Flying Through Peony Blossoms

Nasij is a kind of gold-wefted brocade introduced from Central Asia which applies flat or round gold threads as weft threads. Seen as an indicator of wealth, this kind of silk weave was in wide application among aristocrats in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 AD) for hats, curtains, mattress pads, or collars and cuffs of padded robes.
Woven with two kinds of warp threads, namely, foundation warp in purple and fixing warp in light yellow, as well as two different types of weft yarns, purple ones for foundation while those in golden for pattern, this piece of typical Yuan-dynasty nasij is adorned with the well-known pattern combination featuring phoenix flying through peony blossoms.
Many similar silk fabrics have been excavated in other regions of China, among which the Yuan-dynasty duvet unearthed in the Dove Cave of Longhua, Hebei bears a striking resemblance to this one in terms of both composition and modeling of the decorative pattern, testifying to the popularity of such an ornamentation in that era.