Amazon Horse Archer on a Samite Textile,
Egypt, 7th-8th centuries.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 51.570

Fragment of a silk roundel
Egyptian (Coptic)
Early Byzantine or Early Islamic
7th-8th century A.D.
Object Place: Mediterranean (Eastern)
MEDIUM/TECHNIQUE: Silk
DIMENSIONS: Height x length: 19.5 x 20 cm (7 11/16 x 7 7/8 in.)
CREDIT LINE: The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection
ACCESSION NUMBER: 51.570
CLASSIFICATION: Textiles

DESCRIPTION
Roundel of purple and white weft silk twill. Design of two Amazons on horseback hunting leopards with bows and arrows. Border encloses connected heart-shaped leaves and floral motifs. Roundel composition reflects Sasanian influence. Other fragments of this silk are in Dumbarton Oaks, Textile Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum; similar pieces are in Berlin and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 51.570