Roundel (Orbiculus)

This fragmentary medallion is woven in beige and blue-grey. The central field features a flowering plant with two pairs of spade-shaped leaves. The outer border consists of abstracted floral designs resembling waves.

Two-colored silks like this (see also BZ.1946.15, BZ.1956.2, and BZ.1977.2) are usually associated with Akhmīm, Egypt, where they were found in large numbers.For a list of many examples, along with radiocarbon dating and dye analyses, see A. De Moor, S. Schrenk, and C. Verhecken-Lammens, “New Research on the So-Called Akhmim Silks,” in Textiles in situ: Their Find Spots in Egypt and Neighbouring Countries in the First Millennium CE, ed. S. Schrenk (Riggisberg, 2006), 85–94. Some feature figural designs at center, while others, like this, exhibit purely floral designs, many with flowering trees or palmettes. Radiocarbon dating of various examples suggests that while figural scenes were popular at earlier dates, examples with floral motifs came to dominate over time, possibly in response to changing attitudes about the representation of human beings with the rise of Islam (see BZ.1946.15 for discussion). Several fragments with the same design have been radiocarbon dated to the early Islamic period, with a range between the seventh and tenth centuries.Antwerp, Katoen Natie, 657/DM 33D and 151/DM 33 C: A. De Moor, “Radiocarbon Dating of Ancient Textiles: State of Research,” in Methods of Dating Ancient Textiles of the 1st Millennium AD from Egypt and Neighbouring Countries: Proceedings of the 4th Meeting of the Study Group “Textiles from the Nile Valley,” Antwerp, 16–17 April 2005, ed. A. De Moor and C. Fluck (Tielt, 2007), 102–3, figs. 7–8. This small fragment has been cut to shape from its surrounding ground, indicating that it was used as a garment decoration. For a more complete fragment with a similar design, see BZ.1977.2.

—Elizabeth Dospěl Williams, May 2019