Segmentum from a Tunic
Unknown Artist
750–799
Medium
tapestry; linen and wool
Dimensions
23.5 × 20.4 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The A. W. Ellenberger, Sr., Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1969.38
About this artwork
A fierce lion with a pronounced mane is shown taking down a large bull on a prestigious red ground with stylized trees and plants. Both animals appear to be lunging toward us, the viewer. The border displays a formal wreath of rosettes. This roundel and two additional matching examples suggest that they originally decorated the front and back of a tunic. The scene is presumably an abbreviated reference to the royal hunt, one of the pleasures of the court that served as propaganda to legitimize t...