{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O352809"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O352809/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ8924/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ8924/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LJ8924","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FP8370","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC9869","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O352809/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O352809","accessionNumber":"817-1903","objectType":"Textile fragment","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"A samite medallion, woven  in purple and yellow. Egypt or Byzantine, ca, AD500-700. A thick  border (29mm wide; floral icons,  guilloche) encircles two  mounted huntsmen with bows,  who are attacking lions/tigers at the  horses feet. The warriors wear  cloak and the horses have  decorative harnesses. On each  outer corner of the circle were  floral icons which have been cut  away. The piece has silvery  residue over some sections and  has holes. Battles between men  and animals symbolised the  struggle between good and evil  in human nature. Similar design as 2185-1900, 2185A-1900, 2185B-1900, 2186-1900 and 292-1889.\n\nSamite (twill woven silk) was thought to originate from Persia under Sassanian rule (AD224-651). It was commonly decorated with pairs of animals and birds and set in pearled lotus roundels. It is often found in Western burials, within church possessions and along the Silk Road. Byzantine weaving workshops took on the samite technique to make it an essential weave of the period.  It was a luxury textile of the Middle Ages brought to Europe when the Crusades opened up direct contact with the East. It was forbidden to the middle classes of France under the sumptuary rules c. 1470.","physicalDescription":"A samite medallion, woven in purple and yellow. A thick border (29mm wide; floral icons, guilloche) encircles two mounted huntsmen with bows, who are attacking lions/tigers at the horses feet. The warriors wear cloak and the horses have decorative harnesses. On each outer corner of the circle were floral icons which have been cut away. The piece has silvery residue over some sections and has holes.  Similar design as 2185-1900, 2185A-1900, 2185B-1900, 2186-1900 and 292-1889.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[{"text":"weaving","id":"AAT53642"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"woven silk","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Archaeology","id":"THES48874"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"}],"styles":[{"text":"Coptic","id":"AAT20449"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2019LJ8924","2012FP8370","2019MC9869"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES312502"},"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":""},{"place":{"text":"Byzantine","id":"x46287"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. AD500-700","earliest":"0495-01-01","latest":"0700-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"V&A objects 813-1903 to 820-1903 inclusive purchased for £80 from Monsiuer L. Paul Philip, Cairo. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Woven samite medallion. Egypt or Byzantine, ca. AD500-700. Huntsmen on horseback.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SILKS, 7th-9th century. 1/2 weft-faced compund twill.  Warp / silk, proportion 1 main to 1 binding.  Weft silk of 2 colours, 2 picks of each in turn.  The pieces with amazons including 4 given by Mr. Robert Taylor are from unrecorded sites in Egypt;  other examples of this pattern are known which include a Christian cross or an invocation of Allah. ","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["817-1903","817:2-1903"],"accessionNumberNum":"817","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1903,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-27","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}