New York ? Gorgeous textiles, ornate tiles and elaborate books are all traced back to a gang of invading warriors.

The items are part of an exhibit that opened Nov. 3 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art called “The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia 1256-1353.”

The show examines the artwork and traditions that emerged after the Mongol invaders won the battles that created a diverse empire that stretched from China to Hungary, from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea.

It was a well-run empire, with the Mongols establishing themselves as rulers of various regions but quickly tapping local residents to serve under them in the bureaucracy. They also set up an efficient system of communicating across the vast territory with Pony Express-like stations of well-rested horses.

And instead of carrying papers to prove identification, envoys wore metal “passports” around their necks or on their clothing. One on display is made of cast-iron and silver-inlaid metal and has an inscription that reads, “By the strength of eternal heaven, an edict of the Emperor. He who has no respect shall be guilty.”

More than 200 works from museums and collections worldwide are on display, with many incorporating both Chinese and Iranian motifs and techniques.

One gold-colored textile features griffins back-to-back – a uniquely Iranian motif – with a border of peonies, a flower used in Chinese decoration.

Glazed blue tiles in hexagonal, star and cross shapes illustrate how the Mongol rulers incorporated the local practice of generously using the tiles on walls while often decorating the tiles with their imperial animals, the dragon and the phoenix.

“They went into Iran, and they took what they found to be very interesting, and they mixed it with their roots,” Carboni said.

Because the Mongols were nomadic, they valued art that could be portable and easily displayed: textiles, clothing, belts, buckles and decorative gear for horses. This is illustrated in a gallery that evokes a Mongol ruler’s signature round tent, called a yurt, with 13th-century textile panels of reddish silk and gold-wrapped thread hung on the walls.

One of the rarest parts of the exhibit is a gallery full of illustrated pages from the “Book of Kings,” a history of Iranian heroes and ancient kings that the Mongols used to legitimize their rule.

“The Legacy of Genghis Khan” is on display at the Met through Feb. 16 and then will travel to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.