Author
Unknown
Publication Date
600
Publication Place
Egypt (made) Byzantine (made) -
Subject
Textiles Africa Archaeology Death
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Height: 210mm, Width: 105mm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
2068-1900
Record ID
2068-1900
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
600
Notes
A compound silk weave in red and cream, with an orange warp. Possibly Egyptian or Byzantine, ca. AD600-900. Floral lines criss-cross the fabric and form diamonds. At the intersections are circular motifs with a central star. Within each diamond is a heart shaped motif. There are some holes in the piece. Samite (twill woven silk) was thought to originate from Persia under Sassanian rule (AD224-651). It was commonly decorated with pairs of animals and birds and set in pearled lotus roundels. It is often found in Western burials, within church possessions and along the Silk Road. Byzantine weaving workshops took on the samite technique to make it an essential weave of the period. It was a luxury textile of the Middle Ages brought to Europe when the Crusades opened up direct contact with the East. It was forbidden to the middle classes of France under the sumptuary rules c. 1470.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Woven silk Silk (Textile) Weaving Dyeing
Fiziksel açıklama
A compound silk weave in red and cream, with an orange warp. Floral lines criss-cross the fabric and form diamonds. At the intersections are circular motifs with a central star. Within each diamond is a heart shaped motif. There are some holes in the piece.
Üslup
Late Antique
