KESI/Silk Tapestries between Chinese and Islamic Arts "Artistic and Technical Exchange via the Silk Roads during the 7th–9th AH/13th–15th CE Centuries"

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Museums and Archaeological sites management, Archaeology Faculty, Ain Shams University – Egypt

10.21608/iwnw.2025.453575

Abstract

Not only are the textiles and costumes a facet of the local social identity of China but they also express the artistic, political, economic, and social identities of China in the deeper places. As the ideal ambassador for China the Chinese silk reflected the Chinese face to the world. During periods parallel to the Islamic era, Chinese artists used the Coptic technique in the manufacture of Chinese silk textiles called "KESI". KESI was very important in demonstrating influences between China and Islamic World, these influences were covering the technic and elements of decoration. So, KESI was a perfect proof for artistic and civilization influences transportation between the Far East and Middle East from long term ago. KESI was including exchange influences, which in turn included silk as a raw material of Chinese origin, and the tapestry technique as an ancient Middle Eastern influence brought to China by Muslims. The studyhistorically traces Kasi textiles along the Silk Roads between China and the Islamic East. It further demonstrates the mutual artistic influences between the arts of China and the arts of the Islamic world, particularly in the manufacture and decoration of textiles that in turn expressed the two artistic identities, Islamic and Chinese.

Keywords

References

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