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Gold has always fascinated mankind and is a majestic part of cultures around the world.
A symbol of wealth and splendor, a sign of elegance and refinement, this mal- leable metal has been used since Antiquity to make jewelry, finery and weapons.
Over the centuries, weavers and artisans of the Orient discovered and developed fabulous techniques for combining gold with textile fibers to create extraordi- nary fabrics.
Due to the extreme fragility of these fabrics, only the funerary garments have been preserved in the secrecy of royal and princely tombs. The tradition of bu- rying high-ranking officials in their ceremonial robes has allowed these sump- tuous remains to survive through the centuries.
The exhibition «Au Fils de l’Or,» organized by the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, in collaboration with Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei, traces the history of gold and reveals the beauty and diversity of costumes from the Maghreb to Japan, via India and China.
First discovered over 7,000 years ago, gold still shrouds the mystery of its origins today.
Numerous myths and legends have attempted to explain its origins, often asso- ciated with divinity and immortality.
In Bulgaria, 5 millennia BC, the first traces of this hypnotic metal appeared, its rarity long being the exclusive preserve of royalty and nobility.
The very first «democratization» of gold occurred with the Mongol tribes under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. By founding his vast empire, he established a period of commercial peace between East and West. The resulting freedom of trade allowed Italian, Venetian, and Genoese merchants to purchase fabrics known as panni tartares or Tartar fabrics.
Until the 16th century, in medieval textiles, strips of baldrich covered with a film of gold or silver gilt on a linen weft made it easier to use this metal in clothing.
Nükao warrior armor - China - early 20th century -
Embroidered silk satin, cotton, gold and silver organic threads, silk threads, mirrors, copper papillae.