Man Subduing Lion/"Hero and Lion" Silk (DO BZ.1934.1)
The well-known strength of lions signifies that this man – who dominates lions – must be even stronger. He is dressed in a classical short toga and sandals. His long hair and action of tearing open the lion's jaws suggest that he represents Samson, a religious hero from the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament). People from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions appreciated Samson, since the text that Christians call the Old Testament is foundational for all three religions. The weft-faced technique (weaving crosswise threads) reached the eastern Mediterranean from China via the silk roads. This textile could have served as a curtain or hanging in a home of a wealthy person or in a church, or as part of a garment worn at ceremonies. The English king Henry III, the probable patron of the Chertsey tiles, owned a textile showing an image of Samson similar to this one.
