Fragment of Roundel
Unknown Artist
7th–8th century
Medium
Linen, wool
Dimensions
Max. H. 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm) Max. W. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.835
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Fragment of Roundel*, by an unknown artist in the th–8th century offers a glimpse into the rich textile traditions of early Islamic art. Woven from linen and wool, this small piece—measuring just 6 3/8 inches high and 9 inches wide—survives as a segment of a larger roundel, a circular motif popular in the period. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Islamic Art Department, it was generously gifted by George F. Baker in 1890. Textiles like this flourished in regions such as Egypt under Umayyad or early Abbasid rule, where skilled weavers blended local Coptic techniques with i...