Lampas with arabic inscription and animals in bands, gilded leather strips, China or Central Asia, 1300-1350

Fragment of lampas silk (pannus tartaricus), from a vestment at Regensburg with coloured warp stripes and a pattern weft of gilt leather strip; design in gold composed of sino-islamic elements: islamic script, animals and small geometric designs. One selvedge intact. The bands contain three different groups of motifs, 1) an Arabic inscription (Glory victory and prosperity) the repetitions are separated by circles of interlaced ornament; 2) a lion, a phoenix, a deer and a tortoise in rectangular compartments, the second and fourth being enclosed by circles; 3) small diaper pattern and quatrefoils enclosing arabesque and foliated ornament.
At the top edge, on the rear, there is sewn, with running stitches, a strip of plain woven silk, presumably the remains of a lining.
Flat strip cut from single-sided gilt, probable vegetable tanned leather (or treated parchment?). The gilding was carried out with metal leaves hammered from pure, refined gold. The reverse side of the leather was lacquered.

This fragment comes from a dalmatic in the Diozesanmuseum, Regensburg, formerly part of a set of vestments in the Alte Kapelle, Regensburg, with a traditional but unsupported association with Emperor Henry VI (d. 1197).
Fragment has no areas of compound weave.
Technical analysis of metal thread made by Dr. Marta Jaro, Hungarian National Museum in 15/08/2004.

Tentatively ascribed to Greater Iran.

This fragment of lampas silk comes from a dalmatic in the Diozesanmuseum, Regensburg, part of a set of vestments in the Alte Kapelle, Regensburg, with a traditional but unsupported association with Emperor Henry VI (died 1197). The design in gold of gilt leather strip is composed of sino-islamic elements: islamic script, animals and small geometric designs; it was possibly woven in Greater Iran.

8288-1863