Buddhist priests' kesa (vestment). Both flat and wrapped gold over paper and silk (old style). My guess is that this is gold, but I haven't tested for it. Very dark navy blue or black background. Temporary casing at top for hanging (may be easily removed).  Silk front and back. Good condition – see photos. Very fine warp threads have been used to hold down floating weft yarns, giving the appearance of couching. As with couching, some of these fine threads have become weak with age and as a result, some of the yarns are no longer fully attached to the surface. The front has been basted to the back with black thread at some point in its history - the black threads are quite visible on the back. There is some staining on the back commensurate with the age.

While there are flaws, this is an excellent example of this type of weaving.

36" x 44"