after-treatment Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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after-treatment Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1975.41.6
Title
Ornament from a Tunic: A Hunter Slaying a Lion
Classification
Textile Arts
Work Type
tapestry
Date
4th-5th century CE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient)
Period
Byzantine period, Early
Culture
Byzantine
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/288727

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Wool and linen, tapestry woven
Technique
Tapestry
Dimensions
Diam. 9.1 cm (3 9/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of The Hagop Kevorkian Foundation in memory of Hagop Kevorkian
Accession Year
1975
Object Number
1975.41.6
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Small round tapestry fragment with a hunter fighting a lion. The active figures are surrounded by plant forms, suggesting that this scene is a hunt occurring in the wild rather than a battle between a venatore and a lion in an arena. This composition recalls representations of Herakles and the Nemean lion. The hunter has curled hair and wears a short tunic that itself features tapestry woven clavi (shoulder bands) and roundels. The border of the roundel is not a smooth band, but instead seems to represent the stem of a vine.

The warps run perpendicular to the direction of the roundel’s design. Supplementary wefts in ‘flying shuttle’ technique create details of the lion, man, and plants.
Commentary
Close combat with a lion is a feat of extraordinary bravery and may have served as a protective image for the wearer of the garment to which this roundel once likely belonged. The labors of Herakles continued to be represented for centuries into the Christian period, and were likely exemplary of male virtues.

Publication History

  • Persian & Egyptian Art, Oriental Rugs, Classic & Medieval Sculptures. The Kevorkian Collection., auct. cat., American Art Association (January 20-21, 1928), p. 62-63, no. 117

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 3740 Egyptian, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 12/21/2016 - 06/01/2017

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu