Fragment of a Band with Noble Equestrian and Soldier, Inscribed “Zacharaiou” in Greek
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.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.
The cut and shape of fragments like this example indicate that they decorated garments. Popular at Akhmim over several centuries, the riding figures, reminiscent of soldier saints, may have been thought to convey apotropaic qualities that protected the wearer.
The cut and shape of fragments like this example indicate that they decorated garments. Popular at Akhmim over several centuries, the riding figures, reminiscent of soldier saints, may have been thought to convey apotropaic qualities that protected the wearer.
Artwork Details
- Title: Fragment of a Band with Noble Equestrian and Soldier, Inscribed “Zacharaiou” in Greek
- Date: 7th-9th century (?)
- Geography: Made in Egypt or Syria (?)
- Medium: Weft-faced compound twill ( samit ) in reddish purple and beige silk
- Dimensions: 14 9/16 x 11 7/16 in. (37 x 29 cm)
- Classification: Textiles
- Credit Line: The British Museum, London (1904,0706.41)
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters