CC0 · no rights reserved
Fragment of a Band or Border
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This lively hunting scene features a central figure grappling with a lion. He is flanked by hunters on horseback brandishing swords. The swirling clothing of the hunters and the dynamic poses of the animals give a sense of movement to the band. The entire scene is bordered with a vibrant floral design. Hunting was a popular artistic theme in pre-Islamic traditions, including Sasanian and Assyrian art, and was then adopted into Islamic artistic vernacular.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFragment of a Band or Border, late 600s–800s. Egypt, Umayyad period (661–750) or Abbasid period (750–1258). Wool and linen: tapestry weave; overall: 12.7 x 21.8 cm (5 x 8 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund, 1982.110
