Exploring the World of the Great Kublai Khan

Rug with Prunus Branch
This carpet was found in Japan, probably once a keepsake of a Japanese soldier after a Yuan naval invasion was repulsed. It shows the heavy Central Asian and Iranian influence of the time, emphasized in the rug's Kufic border and patterning. Ateliers filled with artisans from captured Central Asian cities sprung up in parts of western China during Kbilai Khan's time.

• Treasures from the Forbidden City