Fragment with an Armed Dancer

Unknown

4th–5th century · Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave · Islamic Art

Later Greek writers, such as Nonnos of Panopolis, who flourished in Egypt in the fifth century AD, linked the god Dionysos with Pyrrhic dancers, like the one seen here. In a Pyrrhic dance, a dance of war or victory, armed boys and men performed a series of offensive and defensive movements to music. The leaf shape framing the dancer is a common decorative motif in early Byzantine textiles.

Artist

Unknown

Date

4th–5th century

Medium

Wool, linen; plain weave, tapestry weave

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase by subscription, 1889