Egypt, Abbasid period / 750–99
Segmentum from a Tunic
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Segmentum from a Tunic as textile (Egypt, Abbasid period · 750–99).
The animal battle takes place on a background formed by the spreading branches of a tree with stylized flowers and leaves.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this textile as tapestry; linen and wool.
The museum's collection notes: A fierce lion with a pronounced mane takes down a large bull on a purple red ground with stylized trees and plants. Both animals appear to be facing us, the viewer. The border displays a formal wreath of rosettes. This roundel, or circular element, and two additional matching examples suggest that they originally decorated the front and back of a tunic. The scene may be an abbreviated reference to the royal hunt, one of the pleasures of the court that served as propaganda to legitimize the authority of rulers by confirming their ability to control natural resources.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtSegmentum from a TunicOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.