Textile with Dragons

Unknown artist

Yuan dynasty, 13th–14th century

Silk tapestry ([kesi])

Tokyo National Museum

A tapestry depicts multiple dragons in gold and green against a dark brown background. The dragons are intertwined with foliage and floral elements. Five-taloned dragons symbolizing the emperor of China soar over a purple ground. The horizontal threads used to render the dragons' scales were woven in a rippling effect to match the shapes of the scales. Origin: China