By the later Middle Ages a great variety of silks was available in Europe. Weavers in many Italian cities manufactured silks, while Italian merchants imported silks from Central Asia, Turkestan and Iran, and other silks were received as gifts from the Mongol territories which stretched from China into eastern Europe.

The silk imports were woven with asymmetrical designs featuring lotus flowers on scrolling stems or exotic creatures, such as dragons and phoenixes. The patterns flowed and their colours were often bright and shimmered with gold. They contrasted with the western European symmetrical designs of roundels containing paired animals or with striped or geometric patterns.

This Italian-made silk combines European and Asian motifs. It demonstrates how Italian merchants adapted some of the motifs from imported silks into their own products. Weavers in both Lucca and Venice made silks in this style.