MFA 33.371, Fragment with wrestling lions and harpies, Southern Spain (early 12th century)

Artifact Information

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 33.371. 50X43 cm (Ellen Page Hall Fund).

Silk lampas with supplementary discontinuous metal-wrapped patterning wefts.

Fragment of shroud believed to have been part of the shroud of a bishop of Burgo de Osma. Design of pairs of lions attacking human-headed birds within circles connected by smaller circles containing inscriptions, woven with red, green, and light brown silk (weft) and gold thread (brocaded). The inscription has been translated by R. Guest as follows "This was made in the town of Baghdad, may God guard it."[1].

Fragment with wrestling lions and harpies. © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Summary of results

References

[1] http://https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/fragment-with-wrestling-lions-and-harpies-66254