Lions from a Tunic

Description

The royal lions and jeweled border in this colorful roundel, originally from a tunic, conveyed power and wealth. The symmetrical design with lions and ducks flanking the central palmette (fan-shaped plant form) indicates that the pattern was copied from a costlier silk textile woven on a loom that automatically repeated the design in mirror-image symmetry.

Provenance

Mrs. Paul Mallon, Paris.

Lions from a Tunic

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c. 800's

Accession Number

1982.83.a

Medium

tapestry weave with supplementary weft wrapping; undyed linen and dyed wool

Dimensions

Overall: 23 x 23 cm (9 1/16 x 9 1/16 in.); Mounted: 29.2 x 29.2 cm (11 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.)

Classification

Textile

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund