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See more objects with the tag architecture, churches, domestic interiors, drinking, roundel, interlaced, pair, Islamic.

Object Timeline

-0001	We photographed this object.
1902	We acquired this object.
2006	We photographed this object.
2012	This was an Object of the Day.
2013	We photographed this object.
2014	We exhibited this object.
2017	We photographed this object.
2019	You found it!

Tapestry Fragment (Spain)

This is a Tapestry fragment. We acquired it in 1902. Its medium is silk, metallic (gilded parchment wound around silk core) and its technique is plain weave with discontinuous wefts (slit tapestry), with eccentric wefts. It is a part of the Textiles department.

The figure pairs featured in this fragment are commonly called “cup bearers.” Seated in the same pose, but with clothing and drinking vessels of different colors, they raise their cups with one hand and point to each other with the other. Similar designs appear on Islamic textiles and carved ivories of this period. A 13th century cope of San Valero (1938-78-1) is one example. This type of decoration may have originated in the geometric decoration often found in Islamic architecture. Some of the complex mosaics at Alhambra, the palace of the Sultan of Granada, utilize the same patterns as this textile.

This object was featured in our Object of the Day series in a post titled Beautiful Ladies.

Roundel (Egypt)
warp: undyed s-spun wool; wefts: s-spun red wool; s-spun white linen; s-spun....
1902-1-71

Tapestry medallion depicting a a male and a female figure facing each other. Each appears to be raising a goblet. Figures are woven in white, blue, green and yellow on a red ground.

Medallion (Egypt), 5th–7th century
warp: paired s-spun linen; wefts: s-spun linen, s-spun wools; linen backing.
Gift of John Pierpont Morgan.
1902-1-80

Large scale geometric design of interlacing circular bands. The bands are covered with small designs, suggestive in places of ornate nail head studding. All of design is embossed and the entire paper is antiqued by hand. Printed from woodblocks in oil paint. On reverse side is written: "8666EE".

Object ID #18572263
embossed paper, hand colored.
Gift of Birge Co., Inc..
1944-79-19

Our curators have highlighted 6 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

Man's cap of bright blue silk formed from six isoceles triangles, with a deep band to encircle the head. The triangles have quilted geometric borders and fillings; the band has a quilted interlacing pattern with narrow guard borders and a single gold metallic stripe.

Cap (Egypt), late 13th–early 14th century
untwisted silk, gilded parchment; z-spun linen lining.
Museum purchase through gift of Anonymous Donor.
1949-64-7

Fragment of woven silk with horizontal bands of geometric pattern including various interlace patterns, eight-pointed stars, and kufic script in the form of lobed medallions.
The script is translated as "Sucess and prosperity" and "Beatitude."

Fragment (Spain), 15th century
silk.
Gift of John Pierpont Morgan.
1902-1-304

On brown ground, interlacing bandings of ochre, salmon, lavender in large scale loops.

Sidewall (England), 1968
screen printed.
Gift of Arthur Sanderson & Sons, Ltd..
1970-1-5

Cite this object as

Tapestry Fragment (Spain); Previously owned by Francisco Miquel y Badía (Spanish, 1840–1899); silk, metallic (gilded parchment wound around silk core); 1902-1-82

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Hewitt Sisters Collect.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2AWoV/
Accession Number 1902-1-82
Object ID 18133289