Page 118 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

The present album is a remarkable collection of jin fabrics were used not only for important costumes but also
fabric, showcasing fascinating examples of one of the for decorations and furnishings. Designs such as bird and
most precious and ingenious types of fabric in Chinese flower, or playing children were particularly popular, see
history. In modern understanding, jin refers to polychrome examples of each design, illustrated in Gao Hanyu, Chinese
compound weave fabric. Archaeological evidence suggests Textile Designs, London, 1992, pls 42 and 43 respectively.
that the history of manufacturing jin in China can be traced
back to Western Zhou period (1045 B.C.–771 B.C.). During Silks woven with writings from other Asian languages on
the Han dynasty (202 B.C.–220 A.D.), jin, the most complex Buddhist subject were also popular in Yuan dynasty. A
and heaviest type of all weaves at the time, became a luxury. closely related example with six Tibetan letters spelling out a
According to Shiming (Explanation of Names) by Han scholar Buddhist mantra brocaded in flat gilded paper on a red satin,
Liu Xi (c. 220 A.D.), the character jin is composed of the two is illustrated in Dieter Kuhn, op. cit., pl. 7.35, p. 365.
characters gold (jin) and silk (bo), indicating its value was as In the Ming dynasty, following the establishment of the Inner
precious as gold. Weaving and Dyeing Services (Neizhiran ju) in Nanjing, the
silk industry centered around the Jiangnan region, Southern
The album opens with some early examples of textiles.
The design of the fragment of two Tang dynasty jin is an China, to produce elegant textiles. Due to the booming
important physical documentation of the design influences economy of the area, precious fabrics like jin became
relatively more affordable. Design with auspicious elements
from Central or Western Asia at the time, see Dieter
Kuhn, ed., Chinese Silks, New Haven & London, 2012, pls become popular, compare examples illustrated in Dieter
I.22 – I.27, pp 43-47. Kuhn, op. cit., pls 8.63 and 8.64. Compare also a closely
related example with lotus scroll on a dark blue ground, also
During the Song and Yuan periods (960-1276), the illustrated in Dieter Kuhn, op. cit., pl. 8.73.
craftsmanship of silk making was highly developed, allowing
jin of the period to be woven into a variety of patterns. These

232 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275 AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION OF CHINESE TEXTILES 233