The Stein Collection
Fragment
400-1000 (made)
400-1000 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This rectangular twill fragment is made of red wool. It is unclear what this textile would have been used for, although it is likely to have had a utilitarian function. It was recovered from the fort site of Mazartagh which dates from the 5th to the 11th century.
The site is part of Central Asia we now call the Silk Road, a series of overland trade routes that crossed Asia from China to Europe. The Silk Road was also important for the exchange of ideas. While silk textiles travelled west from China, Buddhism entered China from India along this route.
These textiles were brought back from Central Asia by the explorer and archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943). The Victoria and Albert Museum has around 700 ancient and medieval textiles recovered by Stein at the beginning of the 20th century. Some are silk while others are made from the wool of a variety of animals.
The site is part of Central Asia we now call the Silk Road, a series of overland trade routes that crossed Asia from China to Europe. The Silk Road was also important for the exchange of ideas. While silk textiles travelled west from China, Buddhism entered China from India along this route.
These textiles were brought back from Central Asia by the explorer and archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943). The Victoria and Albert Museum has around 700 ancient and medieval textiles recovered by Stein at the beginning of the 20th century. Some are silk while others are made from the wool of a variety of animals.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | The Stein Collection (named collection) |
Materials and techniques | Wool twill and stitching |
Brief description | Red wool twill with a joining seam |
Physical description | Rectangular piece of monochrome twill weave, red, wool. Joining seam along one edge in brown thread. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Credit line | Stein Textile Loan Collection. On loan from the Government of India and the Archaeological Survey of India. Copyright: Government of India |
Object history | Attached to fragment is a metal-rimmed rectangular label showing Stein number possibly in Stein's handwriting or that of his assistant, Miss F M G Lorimer. Dr. Michael Ryder has identified the wool used as from generalised-medium sheep. |
Historical context | The fort of Mazartagh lies in the western half of Taklamakan Desert, north of Khotan. Among the ruins, Stein found huge numbers of Tibetan documents on wood and paper devoted to military and administrative matters. Many of these dated from the eight century AD, when Tibetan armies conquered the region and occupied the fort. He also found string sandals, shoes made of felt, remnants of wool clothing and nets for fishing. Similar utilitarian textiles had appeared at the Dunhuang Limes, Miran Fort and other military sites. The V&A holds, on loan, several textile fragments from Mazartagh, including woven cotton, hemp string, netting, quilted wool and pieces of shoes. |
Association | |
Summary | This rectangular twill fragment is made of red wool. It is unclear what this textile would have been used for, although it is likely to have had a utilitarian function. It was recovered from the fort site of Mazartagh which dates from the 5th to the 11th century. The site is part of Central Asia we now call the Silk Road, a series of overland trade routes that crossed Asia from China to Europe. The Silk Road was also important for the exchange of ideas. While silk textiles travelled west from China, Buddhism entered China from India along this route. These textiles were brought back from Central Asia by the explorer and archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943). The Victoria and Albert Museum has around 700 ancient and medieval textiles recovered by Stein at the beginning of the 20th century. Some are silk while others are made from the wool of a variety of animals. |
Bibliographic references |
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Other number | M.Tagh.b.004 - Stein number |
Collection | |
Accession number | LOAN:STEIN.277 |
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Record created | January 5, 2004 |
Record URL |
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