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Silk with "Samson" and a Lion

7th–9th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The original vibrant colors of this elegantly woven silk and the similar example from the Byzantine Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., are indicative of the taste for vivid coloring that pervaded the Byzantine and early Islamic worlds. Multiple examples of this motif of combat between a man and a lion survive and attest to the theme’s continued popularity well into the early Islamic era. The image suggests the classical theme of the battle of Herakles and the Nemean Lion. The silks may also represent the biblical battle of Samson with a lion or that of the youthful king David.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Silk with "Samson" and a Lion
  • Date: 7th–9th century
  • Geography: Made in Eastern Mediterranean
  • Medium: Weft-faced compound twill (samit) in polychrome silk
  • Dimensions: 12 3/16 x 14 in. (31 x 35.6 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles
  • Credit Line: Musée National du Moyen Âge, Thermes et Hôtel de Cluny, Paris (Cl. 3055)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters