Panni tartarici

In the Middle Ages, silk was the preferred textile material to express wealth and status. While luxury fabrics were imported from Byzantium and Spain until the 13th century, after 1300, silk fabrics from the Mongol Empire made their way to the West. The patterns composed of Chinese, Persian, and Muslim motifs brought a new aesthetic to Europe. The book discusses garments and objects made from panni tartarici that have been preserved in graves, church treasures, and museum collections. Through the examination of the form and function of the textiles, and incorporating sources, texts, and images, it shows how the clergy and nobility appropriated this foreign material. By investigating the regions of origin and tracing the routes of silk to the West, the study addresses the global interconnectedness of the pre-modern era.