8th Century Central Asian Tiger and Archer Silk Roundel

A look at an
8th Century Central Asian Tiger and Archer Silk Roundel
by
Barry O'Connell and 

Montgomery Boice "Monty" O'Connell

In the Imperial Household Agency's Shosoin Treasure House collection they have  artifacts from Emperor Shōmu-tennō  (701–756) and Empress Kōmyō (701–760), as well as arts and crafts from the Tempyō period (729 - 749) of Japanese history. Beyond just Japanese artifacts are treasures from many areas including this important piece of Central Asian art: 

 

PLATE IV. Compound twill-weave silk. Lion hunt roundel design: lth.191.3 cm, w. 70.8 cm. 8th century, Tang China (?). Shōsōin, Nara.

The Current State of Scholarship on this Piece

From Encyclopedia Iranica: JAPAN xi. COLLECTIONS OF PERSIAN ART IN JAPAN:“

An important textile in the Shōsōin is a fragment of silk brocade depicting confronted equestrians shooting lions set within a pearl roundel”. “This textile pattern that was originated in the Sasanian empire and diffused westwards to Europe and eastwards to China and Japan (Otavsky, pp. 185-95; Ackerman, pp. 3074-78, figs. 1138 and 1139; see also ABRIŠAM).”

http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/japan-xi-collections-of-persian-art-in-japan

Lions or Tigers?

I find the citation problematic in a few regards particularly the “Lion”. I am not an expert on big Asian cats so I asked my son Montgomery Boice O'Connell to take a look. Here are Monty’s comments: 

“The Pearl Roundel has an animal with stripes on the side of the face.  Markings on the body are not close to the markings of a leopard or jaguar.  Leopards and jaguars do not have vivid stripes on the face.  Lions have none of these markings and if it was a lion where then is the mane?  The end result is that it can only be a Tiger.  The markings match that of a tiger and not a lion or any other large Asian cat." Montgomery Boice O'Connell

I think Monty makes the point that it is a Tiger and not a Lion clearly and succinctly. Why then would the Japanese make such an obvious mistake? This textile was copied in Japan for the Shōmu Banner. When it was created the artist substituted Lions in the place of the Tigers. Neither animal was found in Japan so it is likely that the artist drew what was familiar to him. Why the original is noted as having Lions is no more than sloppy scholarship and possibly cultural arrogance.

This piece is in the Shosoin Treasure House collection and dates to the reign of the Emperor Shōmu. It is a Japanese copy in the style of a Central Asian Compound Twill Weave Roundel and very probably it is based on the piece here in question. The Japanese artist took some liberties with the design. The horse gains the wings of the Sasanian Flying Squirrel design (see below) and the face and armor suitable to Japan. Could the figure on horseback be the Emperor Shōmu? 

Tang China (?)

The attribution to “Tang China?” is troubling as well. Imagine if we were looking at a painting painted a Frenchman in Paris in 1942 during the Nazi occupation. Would we feel comfortable with an attribution to "Nazi Germany (?)"?

The Roundel weave is a Compound Twill Weave in Silk. This is not a Chinese weave. China produced a Tabby weave in their rather narrow Han weave roundels. 

I am still working out exactly where these Roundels are from. I believe th is a type of Roundel at different designs are from different areas. One design that I believe is from Persia as in West of Bokhara is what I jokingly refer to as the Flying Squirrel type:

Sassanid silk twill textile of a Simurgh in a beaded surround, 6–7th century. Used in the reliquary of Saint Len, Paris

This Simurgh is in a Western Asia Persian Sassanian style it is very different than the Eastern Phoenix or Feng-huang:

Liao Dynasty Khitan Feng-huang