Page 21 - Chiense TExtiles, MET MUSEUM Pub 1934

CHINESE TEXTILES
a number of the weaves and stitches in halftones, but
these illustrations actually are of little technical value.
They are, rather, merely guideposts to a study of the
collection, and as such they should prove useful.

WEAVES
The Han textile fragments found at Lou-Ian may be
classed roughly under three heads, namely, woolen, cot-
ton, and silk fabrics, the last being by far the most nu-
merous and of much the greatest importance from the
standpoint of technique and artistic decoration. The
woolen fabrics are the most numerous after the silks
and comprise at least two specimens of ordinary twill,
two pieces of damask, and a number of fine tapestry
fabrics. It is important to note here that the patterns of
the wool tapestry differ strikingly from the decorative
motives of the polychrome figured silks- in fact, are
quite non-Chinese and in some pieces are of distinct! y
Hellenistic character. This seems to be explained by the
fact that wool was produced in the greatest quantities in
5
the Tarim basin and that the woolen fabrics were un-
doubtedly for the most part of local manufacture. Frag-
ments of woolen pile carpets were found also, and while
the patterns are not clear enough to help identify them,
in construction they resemble closely other pile carpet
fragments found by Stein which were definitely prod-
ucts of local industry in the Tarim basin.
5 The Tarim basin is west of Lou-Jan but both are in Chinese
Turkestan.
II