Harvard Art Museums > 1975.41.18.A: Tapestry with Archers in Medallion Textile Arts Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Tapestry with Archers in Medallion , 1975.41.18.A,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/288768. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1975.41.18.A Title Tapestry with Archers in Medallion Classification Textile Arts Work Type tapestry Date 8th century Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient) Period Byzantine period Culture Byzantine Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/288768 Physical Descriptions Medium Wool and linen, tapestry woven Technique Woven, tapestry weave Dimensions 31.5 x 23 cm (12 3/8 x 9 1/16 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 1975.41.18.A Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Tapestry with adorsed archers performing Parthian shots inside a medallion. Four spotted felines in the medallion’s foreground. The design is executed in a light thread against a red background. The left archer wears a rayed crown, the other a turban. The archers also hold bows of different styles. The linen warps run perpendicular to the design. Commentary Similarities to designs in contemporary luxury silks, such as the group known as the 'Hunting Amazon' silks. Outside the medallion are four plant motifs similar to those that appear on the so-called 'Akhmim silks,' which have been dated to the 7-10th centuries.1 Musee de Cluny Cl. 13185 closely resembles this textile. Same pattern as Victoria and Albert Museum no. 276-1887, from Akhmim. Slight differences exist, especially in the handling of the animals’ spots. Related also to Victoria and Albert Museum no. 1287-1888, also from Akhmim—though the archers on this piece do not wear headgear, there are additional six-petalled flowers around the candelabra plants, and the animal bodies are more rectangular. 1. A. De Moor, S. Schrenk, and C. Verhecken-Lammens, "New Research on the So Called Akhmim Silks." In S. Schrenk, (ed.), Textiles in Situ. Their Find Spots in Egypt and Neighbouring Countries in the First Millennium, Riggisberger Berichte 13 (Riggisberg 2006) 85–94. 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
