The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Lions from a Tunic

c. 800's

Egypt, Islamic Abbasid period, 8th - 9th Century

tapestry weave with supplementary weft wrapping; undyed linen and dyed wool
Overall: 20.1 x 9 cm (7 15/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1982.83.b
Location: Not on view

Description

The royal lions and jeweled border in this colorful roundel, originally from a tunic, conveyed power and wealth. The symmetrical design with lions and ducks flanking the central palmette (fan-shaped plant form) indicates that the pattern was copied from a costlier silk textile woven on a loom that automatically repeated the design in mirror-image symmetry.
  • Mrs. Paul Mallon, Paris.
  • {{cite web|title=Lions from a Tunic|url=false|author=|year=c. 800's|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.83.b