2-739-664 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Samite with roundels of rosettes, 700s-800s. This is one of a large number of silks woven with geometric designs that have traditionally been attributed to Sogdiana. However, the untwisted warps and light weight of the silk indicate that it was woven farther east in Central Asia where Sogdian influence was strong. Similar geometric patterns occur on clothing depicted in paintings found in the Khotan oasis. That region maintained close cultural and economic ties with Sogdiana. Whether this silk was woven in the Khotan oasis or elsewhere in Central Asia is not known.