This coat is a tapestry (or kilim) wool coat, lined with silk. It is the 9th or 10th century, with birds and gazelles in roundels.
It is a rare coat, as it is wool lined with silk, not silk inner & outer.
While the gazelles are quite large and highlighted by the yellow roundels, the decoration is mainly repeating birds.
The bird detail from the back of the split coat-
The coat was sold by Sotheby’s. It had an estimated price of £100,000—120,000 GBP but sold for £802,850 GBP. Taken from Eloge de l’Art par Alain Truong.
The tapestry work is interesting. I was studying for a tapestry weaving diploma up until my mum needed more care and it’s something I’m slowly gathering my tools together to start again (or rather finish some half done designs).
What I find interesting is that they didn’t interlock the vertical warp threads which leaves the slits. Also, the work hasn’t been turned sideways. Commonly, European tapestry furnishings are woven so that they are hung at 90 degrees to the fall of this coat. Reason being that it keeps the weft threads from compacting further down the warp threads as time passes and gravity takes it’s toll.
Perhaps a small sample of one of these motifs might be fun to try out 🙂
I would love to try some weaving, but I don’t have the room 😦
If you do try some of the motifs, I would love to see the pictures!