Embroidered Tapestry Square
7th-8th century
This black-and-white tapestry square depicts a central human male figure surrounded by sixteen stylized, encircled rosettes. The human figure displays traditionally heroic or warrior attributes: he is wearing a cape, and he holds a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other. The figure is squatting, perhaps in anticipation of battle. The weapon appears to be something of a blunt instrument, perhaps a rock or a brick.
Contrast this fragment with the superiorly woven example of Heracles subduing a lion, found on McMullen 2018.26.
Artwork Details
Title:
Embroidered Tapestry Square
Date:
7th-8th century
Geography:
Egypt
Classification:
Textile
Materials:
Linen and wool
Dimensions:
14.5 x 14.5 cm (5.75 x 5.75 in)
Repository:
McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Accession Number:
McMullen 2018.27
Tellalian Number:
Tellalian 2006-00250
Donor:
Barbara and Donald Tellalian
Provenance:
Purchased at auction, Skinner, Boston, MA on 2 December 2006. Oriental Rugs, Lot #295.
Exhibition History:
No known exhibition history
Publication History:
No known publication history
Conservation History:
March 2017: Windsor Conservation Center, Dover, MA