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Source Description
The <em>kesi </em>outer fabric of the boots is woven with pairs of phoenixes chasing a flaming pearl among clouds. The sections were carefully cut so that the flaming pearl occurs at the centers of the shin and calf, and at the top of the instep. To accommodate the particular cut and smaller area of the instep, the phoenixes were depicted slightly differently and the design was reduced in scale. The wide cut of the top of the boots enabled pants to be tucked inside. Skirts, jackets, robes, gloves, and a hat would have completed the outfit. Liao kesi is distinguished by its exceptional refinement. Considered a national specialty, it was used extensively for both clothing and furnishings. Not only were kesi robes worn by the Liao emperor, but they were sent to the Song emperor as imperial gifts.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
157005
label
Boot
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
157005
contentType
object
title
Boot
description
The <em>kesi </em>outer fabric of the boots is woven with pairs of phoenixes chasing a flaming pearl among clouds. The sections were carefully cut so that the flaming pearl occurs at the centers of the shin and calf, and at the top of the instep. To accommodate the particular cut and smaller area of the instep, the phoenixes were depicted slightly differently and the design was reduced in scale. The wide cut of the top of the boots enabled pants to be tucked inside. Skirts, jackets, robes, gloves, and a hat would have completed the outfit. Liao kesi is distinguished by its exceptional refinement. Considered a national specialty, it was used extensively for both clothing and furnishings. Not only were kesi robes worn by the Liao emperor, but they were sent to the Song emperor as imperial gifts.
date
907–1125
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79947151
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 47.5 x 30.8 cm (18 11/16 x 12 1/8 in.)
cul
Northern China, Liao dynasty (907-1125)
accession
1993.158.1
Source extras
tec
Silk: tapestry weave; two kinds of metal threads
tombstone
Boot, 907–1125. Northern China, Liao dynasty (907-1125). Silk: tapestry weave; two kinds of metal threads; overall: 47.5 x 30.8 cm (18 11/16 x 12 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1993.158.1
collection
Textiles
formerAccessionNumbers
1993.158,a
didYouKnow
The once lavish use of gold and the Chinese-inspired phoenix motif suggest that the boots were made for a member of the Liao imperial family, probably a woman.
citations
citation
“1993 Annual Report.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 81, no. 6 (June 1994): 143–218.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 167
citation
Watt, James C. Y, Anne E Wardwell, Anne E Wardwell, Morris Rossabi, Cleveland Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.), Morris Rossabi, Cleveland Museum of Art, and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). <em>When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles</em>. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art in cooperation with the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1997.
page_number
pp. 87-90, reproduced in color, p. 87, detail repr. p. 88, figure 30
citation
Cunningham, Michael R. <em>Masterworks of Asian art</em>. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1998.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 48 - 49
citation
Spee, Clarissa von. "From the SIlk Road to the Imperial Court: Chinese Textiles in the Cleveland Museum of Art." <em>Arts of Asia</em> 48, no. 3(May-June 2018): 50-56.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 51, fig. 2
citation
Müller, Kathrin. Musterhaft naturgetreu: Tiere in Seiden, Zeichnungen und Tapisserien des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts. 2020.
page_number
Reproduced: P. 58, abb. 14
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:10:04.377000
sourceId
157005
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
Silk: tapestry weave; two kinds of metal threads
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
ea5197f48fdab199