Art Institute of Chicago

Fragment Depicting a Mounted Rider

Egypt

Date

4th-5th century

Medium

Linen and wool, slit and dovetailed tapestry weave with eccentric wefts and supplementary wrapping weft details; edged by plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming uncut loop pile

Culture

Egypt

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This fragment of a larger furnishing textile may have covered a bed or a sofa. The purple square, carefully woven with a tapestry technique, features contemporary imagery related to hunting, with a central rider on horseback encircled by medallions of vegetation and animals. The complete piece, comprised largely of loop pile weave, would have functioned as padding to create a soft surface. The inclusion of such a detailed tapestry design demonstrates that even an object made for comfort could also introduce rich and colorful adornment into the home.

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