Infopanel 30

Tang silk fragment 

Origin & identification: Chinese silk manufactured during the Tang dynasty (described as c. 618–700 CE); raw silk in plain weave with warp floating (Han Damask); geometric pattern with blue thread system and gold paint/print; spiral silver-thread passementerie sewn on; fragment likely from a hat - a direct East Asian luxury textile present in a Scandinavian grave assemblage, with evidence of adaptation into dress.  

This is silk at the far edge of the Viking world: a Tang-dynasty textile fragment technically described as Han Damask, with patterned structure and gilded surface treatment. Sewn onto it is silver-thread passementerie - evidence of how imported luxury could be adapted into Scandinavian dress. The fragment’s survival in a Birka grave makes it more than trade: it is a deliberately chosen material marker of reach, status, and connection to Eurasian exchange.  

Distance:
• Direct: ~6,854 km (Xi’an → Birka)
• Route estimate (Silk Road → Volga corridor): ~7,900 km