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Fragment

late 12th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Spain (made)

Fragment of lampas woven silk. Red design on a cream ground. The design is divided into four surviving but incomplete panels. The second from top and the bottom panel depict quadrupedal mammals (possibly bears?) facing each other, the other two panels have elaborate floral designs.

Object details

Categories
Textiles
Clothing
Object type
Fragment
Materials and techniques
Lampas woven silk
Silk (Textile)
Weaving
Brief description
Fragment of lampas woven silk, Spain, late 12th century.
Physical description
Fragment of lampas woven silk. Red design on a cream ground. The design is divided into four surviving but incomplete panels. The second from top and the bottom panel depict quadrupedal mammals (possibly bears?) facing each other, the other two panels have elaborate floral designs.
Dimensions
  • Length: 7in
  • Width: 2in
Style
Islamic
Gallery label
'SILK DAMASK. Red ground, white pattern of animals alternating with interlaces quatrefoils. Syrian. 13th century. 7in. by 2 in. Bought (Bock Colln.).' Original Label.
(1890)
'SILK DAMASK. Red ground, white pattern of animals alternating with interlaced quatrefoild in lozenge shaped compartments. Oriental. Early 11th century. 7 in. by 2in. Bought. (Bock Colln.).' Mr. Weale Revise.
(1955)
Revised: Silk Damask. Spanish. Late 12th century.
Structure in silk [...] on a deep red satin ground, with interlaced quatrefoils (Pallium quadrapulum cum historia quadrupedrantium). Oriental fabricate from the beginning of the 11th century. Once used to wrap relics.
Translation from German of Dr. Bocks Revise, 1883 - by N. Swaep. For the German text, check the registers.
Object history
The design of this damask has been completed in water colours by Miss Ada Hunter at a cost of £3. 12s 9d.; the painting has been registered under no. 796-1892.

Neg. no. 46151
Neg. no. 616
Historical context
Samples of coloured threads from this object have been taken and are being analysed as part of a collaboration between the V&A and the Spanish Research project "Caracterización de als producciones textiles de la Antigüedad Tardía y Edad Media temprana: tejidos coptos, sasánidas, bizantinos e hispanomusulmanes en las colecciones públicas españolas" ("Characterization of Late Antique and Early Medieval textile production: Coptic, Sasanian, Byzantine and Spanish Muslim textiles in Spanish national collections") (HAR2008-04161) directed by Dr Laura Rodríguez Peinado, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Dpt. de Historia del Arte I (Medieval).
Associated object
796-1892 (Depiction)
Bibliographic reference
Published in 'Textile Art Early Summer 1984' (Shikosha) pl. 54.
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
8566-1863

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Record createdDecember 5, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O86782/fragment-unknown/
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