Lot 36
A Sogdian silk samite fragment with pheasants and ducks Central Asia, 7th-9th Century
25 October 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£30,000 - £40,000
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A Sogdian silk samite fragment with pheasants and ducks
Central Asia, 7th-9th Century
Central Asia, 7th-9th Century
of irregular polygonal form, woven in red, blue and cream silks, depicting three roundels and three partial roundels, each enclosing alternating pheasants or ducks standing on a stylised dais with pearl motifs, the pheasants with halos and elaborate tail feathers, the ducks holding pearl necklaces in their beaks, the roundel borders with floral designs, the interstices with lozenges, floral and quatrefoil motifs, mounted
195 x 40.2 cm.
195 x 40.2 cm.
Footnotes
The Sogdians were a mercantile community from Transoxiana who dominated Silk Road trade during the seventh and eighth centuries. Whilst not a united political entity, the confederation of city states which made up Sogdiana were centered around the main city of Samarkand, corresponding to the modern provinces of Samarkand and Bokhara in modern Uzbekistan, as well as the Sughd province of modern Tajikistan. Evidence found at Sogdian sites such as Panjikent and Afrasiab shows a rich artistic tradition imbued with elements and materials derived from their trading partners along the Silk Road. Sogdian silk textiles are notable for their fine quality, created with raw materials from China and assimilating designs from Chinese, Persian and Byzantine art.
For similar panels see Sotheby's, Arts of the Islamic World, 25th April 2012, lot 498 and Curtis, J, Sandmann, I and Stanley, T, Epic Iran: 5000 years of culture, Exhibition Catalogue, V & A, London, 29th May - 12th September 2021, pp.132-133.