A 15th century Chinese silk brocade geometric panel, priced at £20,000 from Jacqueline Simcox.
Made from a full loom width of material from a bolt of silk, the 2ft 3in x 2ft 1in (70 x 65cm) panel would probably have been used as furnishing fabric to set into screens or to line ornamental boxes. The strong ruyi-patterned design and the style of the tripartite leaves on the red ground are all features of Ming dynasty silks.
Such designs take their inspiration from the Yuan period when interior wood ceilings and architectural ornaments began to display strong geometric patterns.
