{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O352744"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O352744/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ8907/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ8907/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LJ8907","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011ER7720","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LK0052","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O352744/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O352744","accessionNumber":"118-1891","objectType":"Textile fragment","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Roundel from a tunic, in bichrome samite (weft-faced compound twill) woven in brown and cream/buff silks. At the centre is a geometric tree/vine with grapes and leaves, representing the tree of life. On either side are two pairs of spade-shaped leaves with further trees within them. The roundel is surrounded by a circular border (approximately 20mm wide) with a stylised, wave-like floral motif.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[{"text":"weaving","id":"AAT53642"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silk samite","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Archaeology","id":"THES48874"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[{"text":"Egyptian","id":"AAT20251"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2019LJ8907","2011ER7720","2019LK0052"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES306366"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"020","id":"THES312811"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Textile fragment","id":""}],[{"text":"Backing","id":"AAT227764"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Possibly"},{"place":{"text":"Akhmim","id":"x28714"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Bichrome silk samites like this piece have traditionally been attributed to Akhmim (for further details see reference field)."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"7th Century - 10th Century","earliest":"0600-01-01","latest":"0999-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Similar pieces held by Abegg-Stiftung, Riggisberg and Katoen Natie, Antwerp were C14 dated to this range (for further details see reference field)"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"160","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Roundels such as this would have been cut from larger sheets with multiple rows of medallions. For an intact sheet of this sort see Dumbarton Oaks BZ.1977.2.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Textile fragment, roundel from a tunic, compound twill samite in brown and buff silk, Egypt, possibly Akhmim, 7th - 10th Century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"A similar piece to this, in the Metropolitan Museum, is depicted in H.C. Evans and B. Ratliff, &lt;i&gt;Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition 7th-9th Century&lt;/i&gt; (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012): 148. There is is described as \"roundel with Central Asian style 'candelabra tree'. 7th-9th century.\"\n\r\nA further similar piece to this, with the colours inverted, is Dumbarton Oaks BZ.1953.2.126."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"For the dating of the Abegg-Stiftung pieces see S. Schrenk, &lt;i&gt;Textilien des mittelmeerraumes aus spatantiker bis fruhislamischer zeit (Riggisberg: Abegg-Stiftung, 2004), 321-323. The V&amp;A's piece is similar to both cat. no's 147 and 148: No. 147 C14 dated to AD793-995 (100% probability) and no. 148 C14 dated to AD664-827 (93.3% probability).\n\nFurther similar examples in Antwerp (657/DM 33D and 151/SM 33C) have also been carbon dated to between the 7th - 10th Centuries; see A. De Moor, \"Radiocarbon dating of ancient textiles: State of research\", in A. de Moor and C. Fluck, &lt;i&gt;Methods of Dating Ancient Textiles of the 1st Millennium AD from Egypt and Neighbouring Countries: Proceedings of the 4th Meeting of the Study Group “Textiles from the Nile Valley\"&lt;/i&gt; (Tielt, 2007), 102-3, Figs. 7-8;"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Two colour silks like the present example have often been attributed to Akhmim; see A. De Moor, S. Schrenk, and C. Verhecken-Lammens, “New Research on the So-Called Akhmim Silks,” in S. Schrenk, <i>Textiles in situ: Their Find Spots in Egypt and Neighbouring Countries in the First Millennium CE</i> (Riggisberg, 2006), 85–94."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"wallis","id":"A19275"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SILKS, 7th - 9th century.\r\n","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["118-1891","118:2-1891"],"accessionNumberNum":"118","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1891,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}