ABEGG-STIFTUNG

			RIGGISBERGER BERICHTE, Volume 10 Fabulous Creatures from the Desert Sands Central Asian Woolen Textiles from the Second Century BC to the Second Century AD The Jubilee Volume in the Riggisberger Berichte series is dedicated to unique Central Asian Woolen Textiles owned by the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural and Historical Relics and Ar-chaeology, the Xinjiang Museum in Urumqi, and the Abegg-Stiftung. These textiles are around 2000 years old, and are all thought to come from a burial ground near Shanpula, a small oasis settlement on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in what is now the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. They throw new light on the history of textile art in Central Asia. In particular, the colourful wool tapestry bands are unlike any other known textiles. They depict processions of fabulous winged creatures with giant antlers and abstract patterns that look astonishingly modern. Few links exist between these wool tapestry bands and textiles made by other better-known Eurasian peoples. They were manifestly made by a small, self-contained sheep-herding community in which textiles played a central role in communicating traditional cultural and artistic values. This publication sets out a tentative classification of the finds in cultural history, provides an overview of the site, the burial conditions and funeral offerings, and explains the technical features of the different types of textiles and the ways in which they were used. It also comprises a catalogue section listing the pieces in the Abegg-Stiftung collection and a compilation and interpretation of the dyestuff analyses. All contributions in English. 156 pages, 73 colour illustrations, 18 black-and-white illustrations Libretto binding, 23 x31 cm ISBN 3-905014-17-3 Price CHF 85.-- + postage (at the exhibition CHF 50.--) Dominik Keller Fabulous Creatures from the Desert Sands Emma C. Bunker The Cemetery at Shanpula, Xinjiang. Simple Burials, Complex Textiles Wang Bo / Xiao Xiaoyong A General Introduction to the Ancient Tombs at Shanpula, Xinjiang, China Regula Schorta A Group of Central Asian Woolen Textiles in the Abegg-Stiftung Collection Regula Schorta / Regina Knaller Catalogue Judith H. Hofenk de Graaff / Maarten R. van Bommel Dyestuff Analysis of the Central Asian Woolen Textiles. A Contribution of Dyestuff Analysis to the Study and Knowledge of the Textile Fragments Excerpt