Early Carpets and Tapestries on the Eastern Silk Road
Gloria Gonick
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Description
A mysterious group of carpets and tapestries woven more than 500 years ago along a little known eastern branch of the Silk Road is the focus of this richly illustrated book. Preserved in the closed treasure houses of Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital, since the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, these remarkable textiles are brought out for just one day each year during a Shinto Buddhist festival procession before being returned to storage. The book explores their enigmatic origins in China, the marginalised communities who wove them, the meaning of their obscure motifs, and the enduring secrecy surrounding their display.
About the Author
Gloria Gonick is an independent scholar specialising in the history of Asian textiles and the Silk Road. Her research explores the cultural significance, craftsmanship and historical context of early carpets and tapestries, drawing on textile history, archaeology and art history. Gloria spent two decades investigating a remarkable group of carpets and tapestries preserved in Japanese treasure houses. Her research traced their possible origins to Gansu province in northwestern China and revealed their connection to the Manichaean religious tradition. With a particular interest in the movement of artistic traditions across Asia, Gonick's interdisciplinary research has shed new light on the trade, religion and cultural exchange that shaped early Asian textiles.
