The courts of Thailand, Cambodia, the Malay Peninsula, and coastal Indonesia are known for their tradition of sumptuous brocades woven with gold. Gold leaf was also glued to fabrics, possibly preceding batik as a technique for decorating textiles.
Admired as objects of great beauty, silk and gold textiles were never imbued with sacred values. Instead, these lavish and expensive fabrics were opulent symbols of wealth, prestige, and elegant courtly life, proudly displayed as evidence of heavenly blessings.
Curator: Michael Conner
