Description
This rare silk fragment is from a luxurious hanging of brightly colored silk and shiny gold thread that displayed rows of figural roundels on a plain ground. The two turbaned men holding flasks flanking a palmette tree and the turbaned rider with a flying scarf are derived from the ancient Near Eastern imperial themes of the banquet and the hunt. The Arabic inscription framing each roundel proclaims, There is no god but Allah.
This piece along with several others were reportedly found in the tomb of Bishop Gurb (died 1284) in the Cathedral of Barcelona in about 1890.
This piece along with several others were reportedly found in the tomb of Bishop Gurb (died 1284) in the Cathedral of Barcelona in about 1890.
Provenance
reportedly from tomb of Don Arnaldo de Gurb, Bishop of Barcelona [d. 1284], Montaner-Capmany, Barcelona, Spain (1200s); (Arturo Ramon Garriga, Barcelona, Spain, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1966); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1966–)
Accession Number
1966.368
Medium
Silk and gold thread: plain weave with inwoven tapestry weave
Dimensions
Overall: 21.2 x 58.4 cm (8 3/8 x 23 in.); Mounted: 30.2 x 67 cm (11 7/8 x 26 3/8 in.)
Classification
Textile
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
