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Roundel with Amazons

7th–9th century (?)

Not on view

Nineteenth-century excavations at the cemetery at Panopolis (Akhmim), a city long associated with Dionysos, yielded silks elaborately woven with classical motifs. Recent radiocarbon dating of textiles associated with the site place them between the seventh and ninth centuries, providing a sense of the continuity of styles as the region transitioned from Byzantine to Islamic rule.
Riding Amazons with one breast exposed represent another antique motif popular in the Byzantine and Islamic periods. Textiles with this pattern are traditionally associated with Akhmim.

Roundel with Amazons, Weft-faced compound twill ( samit ) in blue-violet and beige silk — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Roundel with Amazons

Date: 7th–9th century (?)

Geography: Made in Egypt or Syria (?)

Medium: Weft-faced compound twill ( samit ) in blue-violet and beige silk

Dimensions: Overall: 8 1/16 x 8 1/16 in. (20.5 x 20.5 cm)

Classification: Textiles

Credit Line: Musée National du Moyen Âge, Thermes et Hôtel de Cluny, Paris (Cl. 21840)

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Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.