Brocade with linked beads and bird patterns, Tang dynasty (618-907). Length 20.0 cm, Width 21.0 cm. Unearthed from Tomb No. 70 in Astana, Turpan, 1966. Collection of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum.

During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties, Persian-style linked bead patterns, animal patterns, winged horse patterns, etc. appeared in large quantities on silk fabrics unearthed in China. Some of these fabrics may be the works of craftsmen in West Asia and Central Asia, while some may be the results of imitation and improvement by craftsmen in the Central Plains based on the cultural tastes of West Asia. Thanks to the hot and dry environment in Turpan, Xinjiang, many brocade organic materials from the 7th to 10th centuries are preserved in the ancient tombs of Astana.

This brocade fragment is composed of red, yellow, camel and white, with purple and white floral patterns as the main pattern, surrounded by six-sided large linked beads and symmetrical bird patterns in the middle. The linked beads surrounding the bird patterns are typical Sassanid art style. This brocade may be a Central Plains export product customized according to Sassanid aesthetics, witnessing the prosperous trade on the ancient Silk Road in the past.