Pages: 347-358
Archaeological works on a number of the Ancient Russian sites of the 10th — early 11th centuries yielded remains of textile ware with golden (metal) threads as well as fragments of separate golden threads. A costume decorated with such threads marked a high social status of its owner. The author identified five types of metallic threads produced of gold and silver, of very fine quality mostly, as well as of gilded silver. The threads were used in manufacturing parements, embroideries, ribbons, woven items for trimming of clothes (passementeries).
The analysis of dating of these complexes infers that the textiles with golden threads were most widely spread in the second half of the 10th century. While it is generally difficult to identify the place of their production, we can ascertain that there were imports from China among them. The closest analogies to the textiles with metallic threads found on the territory of the Ancient Rus are known in Scandinavia and Byzantium.
Keywords: Ancient Rus, 10th — early 11th centuries, textile, golden threads, metal threads
Information about author:
Maria Iakovchik (Moscow, Russian Federation). M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. Lomonosov Ave., 27-4, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]