Abstract

Based on the archaeological evidences from the Silk Road, this paper reviews geometrical pattern on the embroidered textiles of the Han and Tang dynasties (2ndC BC-early 9thC AD). The evidences show that geometrical pattern is mainly found on textiles from Northwestern China rather than Central China. Although not widely available, it is characterized by its varied types. The regular geometrical patterns on the embroidered textiles from the Silk Road include dots, roundels, waves, whorls, triangles, diamonds, lozenges, chevrons, zigzags and crosses. As the most common motif, dots not only intersperse with other patterns or form lines as edgings but also create frames of various kinds such as roundels, diamonds and hexagons etc. then filled with other patterns. Diamonds are also common, besides serving as pattern they are often used as frames. In addition, there are examples consisting of more than one type of geometrical patterns. 

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