Cleveland Museum of Art

Segmentum from a Tunic

Date

750–99

Medium

tapestry; linen and wool

Culture

Egypt, Abbasid period

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A fierce lion with a pronounced mane takes down a large bull on a purple red ground with stylized trees and plants. Both animals appear to be facing us, the viewer. The border displays a formal wreath of rosettes. This roundel, or circular decorative element, and two additional matching examples suggest that they originally decorated the front and back of a tunic. The scene may be an abbreviated reference to the royal hunt, one of the pleasures of the court that served as propaganda to legitimize the sovereignty of rulers by confirming their ability to control natural resources.

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