Textile Fragment
ca. AD600-900 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
A compound silk weave in red and cream, with an orange warp. Possibly Egyptian or Byzantine, ca. AD600-900. Floral lines criss-cross the fabric and form diamonds. At the intersections are circular motifs with a central star. Within each diamond is a heart shaped motif. There are some holes in the piece.
Samite (twill woven silk) was thought to originate from Persia under Sassanian rule (AD224-651). It was commonly decorated with pairs of animals and birds and set in pearled lotus roundels. It is often found in Western burials, within church possessions and along the Silk Road. Byzantine weaving workshops took on the samite technique to make it an essential weave of the period. It was a luxury textile of the Middle Ages brought to Europe when the Crusades opened up direct contact with the East. It was forbidden to the middle classes of France under the sumptuary rules c. 1470.
Samite (twill woven silk) was thought to originate from Persia under Sassanian rule (AD224-651). It was commonly decorated with pairs of animals and birds and set in pearled lotus roundels. It is often found in Western burials, within church possessions and along the Silk Road. Byzantine weaving workshops took on the samite technique to make it an essential weave of the period. It was a luxury textile of the Middle Ages brought to Europe when the Crusades opened up direct contact with the East. It was forbidden to the middle classes of France under the sumptuary rules c. 1470.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Woven silk |
Brief description | Samite. Egyptian or Byzantine, ca. AD600-900. Red and cream. |
Physical description | A compound silk weave in red and cream, with an orange warp. Floral lines criss-cross the fabric and form diamonds. At the intersections are circular motifs with a central star. Within each diamond is a heart shaped motif. There are some holes in the piece. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Credit line | Given by Robert Taylor Esq. in 1900 |
Summary | A compound silk weave in red and cream, with an orange warp. Possibly Egyptian or Byzantine, ca. AD600-900. Floral lines criss-cross the fabric and form diamonds. At the intersections are circular motifs with a central star. Within each diamond is a heart shaped motif. There are some holes in the piece. Samite (twill woven silk) was thought to originate from Persia under Sassanian rule (AD224-651). It was commonly decorated with pairs of animals and birds and set in pearled lotus roundels. It is often found in Western burials, within church possessions and along the Silk Road. Byzantine weaving workshops took on the samite technique to make it an essential weave of the period. It was a luxury textile of the Middle Ages brought to Europe when the Crusades opened up direct contact with the East. It was forbidden to the middle classes of France under the sumptuary rules c. 1470. |
Bibliographic reference | A.F. Kendrick, Catalogue of textiles from burying-grounds in Egypt. Vol. III: The Coptic Period (London, 1922): No. 849, p.90, Pl. XXXII |
Collection | |
Accession number | 2068-1900 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | June 24, 2009 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSON