A silk brocade border is a decorative mat for a Chinese ink painting. Once the ink painting is flattened and mounted on a thick backing paper, the silk brocade borders are attached to the outer painting edges. A silk brocade border normally has a subtle decorative pattern and is neutral in color such as white, off-white, beige, or light gray. If necessary, the brocade borders may be trimmed down in size or entirely removed.