Pearls and Handwoven clothing.

[BWeaves]

Check out this article from the NY Times. A 1000 year old handwoven shirt with a design of ducks holding pearls.

“A piece like this and in this kind of condition is indescribably rare,” said Benedict Carter, the head of auction sales for the Middle East department of Sotheby’s.

The shirt is decorated with ducks wearing scarves and holding pearl necklaces in their beaks, encased in octagon motifs featuring hearts, among other shapes. These patterns reveal the shirt’s provenance: It was likely owned by a roving dignitary or courtier of the Sogdian Empire.

As you scroll down the article, it will zoom in on different parts of the shirt.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...?smid=fb-share

My 3 favorite things all in one item. Pearls, handwoven fabric, and antique clothing. Now, if the ducks were swans, it would be perfect.

[ericw]

Such a nice witness of the story!
For the rest, I truly agree you, BWeaves, but may I add my polished stone axe in equipment?

hache de pierre.jpg

[BWeaves]

Cool. Eric, how big is your axe?

[CathyKeshi]

That's breathtaking and magnificent ... thanks fo much for sharing, BWeaves!

[Katbran]

Oh my ! How marvellous !! Thanks BWeaves for this wonderful link !

[pattye]

BWeaves, ancient textiles fascinate me also. That shirt is something else. Hope it ends up in a museum somewhere.

Eric, that's an interesting artifact.

[GemGeek]

Who knew such a delightful pattern existed? Love it!

[ericw]

Cool. Eric, how big is your axe?

That was a bit french humor, BWeaves, but I am glad you like, as me, antique objects, clothes, tools, any witnesses of ancient lifes. Moreover all things reporting of the taste for beauty despite such hard times when people didn't live old, and were sick and frozen.
My axe is about 20" length, six thousand years old. This one is made in fibrolite, very hard mineral to break, like nephrite and jadeite, these stones making the very best polished axes. That's probably the first reason why nephrite and jadeite were considered so precious, even before to make jewels with.
About pearls shown on this shirt, if they are mollusk's ones, that would be interesting to know their origin. A specy of wild freshwater mussels which make nice pearls is still common in eastern Europe, maybe that's the source of these ones, but asian species were perhaps yet harvested, too.

[Red]

Thought I would add a screen print of this magnificent shirt, just in case the link goes away. The gold color is amazing, and I see little hearts and four leaf clovers as well.

OldDucks.jpg

[ericw]

Thank you for sharing, Red: my own link didn't work!
That's a true wonder.

[BWeaves]

Thanks for posting the photo, Red!!!

[pattye]

Thanks very much, Red! Amazing how long the heart motif has been around!

[JerseyPearl]

So cool! Thanks for sharing

[Marianne]

Now I can see this amazing work of art. Thanks, Red!

[Ash]

This is beautiful! The Sogdian empire did some gorgeous weaving! Thank you! Pearls were a status symbol for a very long time. Love how different cultures portray that use. either in the weaving or having pearls as jewelry or sewn directly onto garb itself. Pearls truly are such a versatile gem. Thank you again for showing this lovely piece.