Textile ArtsByzantine5th-7th century

Roundel: Profusion of Dancers and Animals

7th century

Description

This all wool, tapestry woven roundel has a design field that at first appears completely abstract. Close attention shows the pattern is actually made up of densely packed purple motifs: dancers, putti, lions, flowers, fish, birds, and other animals crowd together, creating a mottled effect. An inner medallion has a thick purple border with a scrolling buff motif that recalls the scrolling vine that forms medallions on many Byzantine textiles. The human figures within the roundel provide the textile with a clear orientation. Although the motifs are highly stylized, supplementary weft wrapping (‘flying shuttle’) in buff thread introduces details to all of them, showing that they have been executed intentionally and carefully. Small strips of dark red fabric survive on the sides of the roundel along the purple border; the larger textile from which this circle has been cut would likely have been primarily a dark red field with purple and buff tapestry decoration at key points on the fabric. Dark red wool warps also run throughout the textile.

Classification

Textile Arts

Technique

Woven, tapestry weave

Medium

Wool

Culture

Byzantine

Period

Byzantine period

Century

5th-7th century