Red-foundation Jin-silk with Necklace-biting Turkeys in Petalled Floral Medallions

On this piece of weft-faced jin-silk there are two comparatively complete beaded floral medallions, in which there is a turkey standing on a ribbon-adorned platform. The bird, whose wings and tail are embellished with red and green ribbons, is biting an eight-bead necklace with three bead-string pendants. Such necklaces had usually been seen worn by figures on goldware or silverware manufactured during the period of Sasanian Empire of Persia and were later transformed into decorative patterns on silk textiles. The two parallel ribbons with knots attached to the neck of the bird are characteristic of Sasanian Persian decorative art. In the areas between the two medallions, floral cruciform in symmetrical positions can be found with petals outreaching from the octo-petal roundel in the center.