Dress Fabric thumbnail 1
Dress Fabric thumbnail 2

Dress Fabric

16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This fragment of silk was once part of a cope. This type of sleeveless hooded vestment was worn by priests at certain Christian church ceremonies.

The rows of decorative motifs here include one showing a cheetah attacking a wild ass. The other shows an ox being mauled by a lion-like beast with a fantastic tail. Such depictions of animal combat are a common feature of the art created in Iran under Safavid rule (1501-1732). They appear in a variety of media, from manuscript painting to textiles like this silk.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk, lampas-woven
Brief description
Fragment of silk lampas with scenes of animal combat, Iran, 16th century.
Physical description
An irregularly shaped fragment of lampas-woven silk with a design of animal combats.
Dimensions
  • Length: 53cm
  • Width: 88cm
plus board
Style
Gallery label
(2006)
Jameel Gallery

Fragment of Silk with Animals Fighting
Iran
1500–1600

Fighting animals are found among the patterns on the carpets displayed nearby. On this silk they are the main motif. One row shows a cheetah or leopard attacking a wild ass. The other shows an ox being mauled by a lion-like beast with a fantastic tail.

This fragment was part of a cope, a Christian church vestment.

Silk thread in lampas weave
Museum no. T.111-1929
Historical context
Depictions of animal combat have been popular in the art of the Middle East for thousands of years. They are quite common in the arts of Safavid Iran, from manuscript painting to textiles like this.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This fragment of silk was once part of a cope. This type of sleeveless hooded vestment was worn by priests at certain Christian church ceremonies.

The rows of decorative motifs here include one showing a cheetah attacking a wild ass. The other shows an ox being mauled by a lion-like beast with a fantastic tail. Such depictions of animal combat are a common feature of the art created in Iran under Safavid rule (1501-1732). They appear in a variety of media, from manuscript painting to textiles like this silk.
Bibliographic references
  • The Arts of Islam, Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Hayward Gallery, 8 April - 4 July, 1976, The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1976. 396p., ill. ISBN 0 7287 0081 6 paper bound, 07287 0080 8 cloth bound. Catalogue entry 78, p.108
  • Royal Academy of Art, Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Persian Art, London, 1931. No. 248
  • Pope, A. D., and Ackerman, P. (eds.) A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1938-9, pl. 1041
  • Bier, Carole (ed.) Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart: Textile Arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran 16th-19th Centuries (Washington, D.C., 1987), cat. no. 37, p. 207 (fragment from same textile).
Collection
Accession number
T.111-1929

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Record createdNovember 4, 2003
Record URL
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