Japanese Keikin Nishiki Brocade Textile – Shishigari Lion Hunting Design

A remarkable Japanese brocade textile whose design tells a story stretching from ancient Persia, along the Silk Road, to Japan.

This unused decorative textile features Shishigari-mon (獅子狩文) — literally, a Lion Hunting Design. Its inspiration comes from the famous Shishigari-mon Nishiki associated with Hōryū-ji, one of Japan’s oldest and most important Buddhist temples.

From Persia to Japan:

The distinctive design reflects the influence of Sasanian Persia. Mounted hunters and lions appear within circular medallions surrounded by pearl-like borders — imagery that travelled eastward across Asia and became incorporated into the extraordinary textile culture of early Japan.

The original Japanese information included with this piece explains that its design is an adaptation of this historic composition. The floral/tree element of the ancient design has been removed, while a Persian-style mounted hunter and lion occupy the medallions and elaborate floral ornament fills the surrounding spaces.

The textile is woven using Keikin (経錦), a traditional warp-patterned brocade technique, producing an exceptionally intricate pattern in subdued shades of russet red, green, black and gold.

Long, multicoloured fringe finishes both ends.

Although beautiful simply displayed as a textile, its approximately 50 × 30 cm size makes it particularly suitable as a small table runner, cabinet cloth or display mat for Japanese ceramics, bronzes and other treasured objects.

It comes unused in its original gold presentation box, complete with its original tag and Japanese explanatory literature — a particularly nice example to have survived as originally sold.