Textile Fragment

Art Historical Context

This exquisite textile fragment, dating to the 4 century, hails from the early centuries of Late Antiquity and offers a rare window into the daily life and artistry of its time. Woven in wool and linen, it measures about 11½ by 10⅞ inches and depicts lively scenes of human figures alongside horses—likely evoking hunting, travel, or ceremonial motifs common in ancient Near Eastern or Egyptian textiles. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art department, it reflects the cultural crossroads where pre-Islamic traditions influenced later Islamic textile arts. The fragment's dual techniques—...