Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, 26 april 2017
A fine silk samite fragment with deer, Central Asia, Sogdiana, 8th-9th century
Lot 160. A fine silk samite fragment with deer, Central Asia, Sogdiana, 8th-9th century; 45.5 by 62cm; 52 by 66cm mounted. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 GBP. Lot sold 40,000 GBP. Courtesy Sotheby's 2017.
comprising a central section with two stitched components on each side, woven in weft-faced polychrome compound twill with red, green, honey and blue threads, featuring a large foliate medallion enclosing a finely outlined stag with floral coat, blossoming lotus palmettes between.
Note: The ephemeral quality and delicacy of this deer distinguishes it from the traditionally schematic quality of Sogdian textile design. There exists a fragility and grace in the curvilinear outline of the body and certain naturalism in the mane flowing down its chest that renders this a charming depiction. The more common pearl border of the seventh/eighth century has been replaced with a lush border of interlacing palmettes characteristic of the eighth/ninth century. Opulent vegetal motifs richly adorn the spaces between the roundels, playing an important role in the symmetry of the design. These botanical motifs can be compared to silk textiles preserved in the Shōsō-in, Kyoto, Japan (C. Beurdeley, Sur les routes de la soie: Le grand voyage des objets d'art, Fribourg, 1985, pp.126-7, no.124).