Kesi fragment
Silk fabric
Central Asia
c. 12th century AD

Kesi or silk tapestry is a technique of silk weaving whereby weft threads of different colours are not woven across the whole width of the fabric, but interlaced only at the areas where a particular colour is required. Techniques like this were spread and copied throughout Asia via the Silk Road. For example, China adopted the technology of traditional ornamental Central Asian designs and created new varieties of silk textiles such as kesi. This new textile variety was then again transferred to Central Asia. Possibly kesi were originally used as garments, or to add decorative borders to cuffs, hems and collars of clothing.

This type of of kesi with birds, flowers, medallions and bands is typical, but not exclusive to Central Asia and survived well into the thirteenth century. The combination of naturalistic representation and creative pattern making is one of the hallmarks of the medieval Central Asian decorative art style and would heavily influenced Chinese decorative arts from the Yuan (1279-1368) dynasty onwards.

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