Sutra Cover, Brocade with Dragons and Scriptures Title

Beautiful silk fabrics were commonly used for wrapping the paperboard covers of the accordion-bound sutras, or Buddhist scriptures. Titles and volume numbers were written on a strip attached to the fabric. An intact example of a textile covering for printed sutras is shown nearby. These textiles were woven from colorful, lustrous silk and often accentuated with gold and metallic threads. Complex weaving techniques enabled the creation of a wide range of designs and motifs. This diversity of approach is seen in the sutra covers’ plaid patterns, floral scrolls and depictions of dragons and phoenixes.