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Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

Roundel with amazons on horseback no color bar v2

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What is this? Finley Cassidy '22
The rectangular silk fragment containing a single medallion shows two symmetrical, strong, fearsome female figures riding horses, arrows drawn, ready to hunt down their prey. Each warrior is single-breasted: it was thought that each Amazon was so dedicated to her craft that she would cut off her right breast in order to have better control over her bow.
No one knows for certain whether the Amazon women were only a myth, a figment of Greek imagination, or whether they were real women warriors. In a National Geographic article, Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World, works to assert their historical existence. Archeologists have discovered remains of Scythian women who were buried with weapons and war injuries matching the description of the ancient Amazons. The Scythians were warrior nomads who lived in the areas around the Black Sea. The graves left behind for these women provide evidence to support the existence of women like the Amazons. One woman’s remains showed that she was bow-legged from constant riding, while others were buried with their weapons. The Scythian women were warriors, and it is possible this is where the Greek ideas of Amazons developed.

These archaeological discoveries was made in the early 1990s by a joint U.S and Russian team who discovered over 150 graves while excavating 200-year-old burial grounds outside Pokrovka, a remote Russian outpost in the southern Ural steppes near the Kazakhstan border. These graves belonged to the Sauromatians and their descendants, the Sarmatians. The finds outside Pokrovka then caused a reappraisal of older discoveries. These warrior women not only existed but were masters of their craft, buried with weapons and evident injuries from battle.
Roundel with Amazons on Horseback (DO BZ1946.15) By Finley Cassidy '22

This polychrome silk fragment containing a single medallion shows two symmetrical fearsome female warriors on horseback, arrows drawn, ready to hunt their prey. Each warrior is single-breasted. It was thought that Amazons were so dedicated to their craft that they cut off their right breast to better control their bows. The Amazons originated in Greek mythology as warrior women skilled in battle, equal to their male counterparts. Due to the large number of surviving medieval silks showing Amazons, art historians can trace the long popularity of this imagery among both Christian and Muslim audiences (very similar silks showing Amazons also included Arabic inscriptions of bismillāh: “In the name of God”). The textile fragment’s square shape suggests this piece of silk served as decoration on a tunic.
When was this made? By Finley Cassidy '22
This object has been dated from the 7th-9th century. Due to the large number of similar silks that still survive in various colors, it is possible for art historians to trace the long popularity of this ancient iconography. For instance, this related example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a tiny cross at the top and bottom of the roundel's circular frame. Other examples of similar silks show motifs associated with Islamic cultural contexts. It appears as if this roundel's iconography showing two Amazons on horseback was in use for many years and in different religious and cultural contexts.
Why was this made, and how was it used? By Finley Cassidy '22

It is possible that this piece of silk was used to decorate an item of clothing, like a tunic. The roundel with Amazons on horseback shows a medallion in beige on a deep blue ground. The fragment's square shape suggests that this particular silk was used to ornament a tunic or something small. This technique was used to give the tunic a strong visual appeal and was used as a form of luxury decoration. This medallion is smaller than some other silk medallions, which would not have been able to fit on clothing and which could have been used for other decorative purposes, such as architectural curtains or hangings. While the tunic of this particular medallion did not survive over time, the silk still remains. It was common for the linen to be cut away and discarded, while the silk was seen as precious and was kept safe. We can assume that this medallion was designed a part of a bolt of silk and then later found its place, possibly on an item of clothing.

It is interesting to imagine who could have decorated their clothing with this medallion. Possibly other women wore these fearsome warriors' images, suggesting female empowerment.
Where was this produced? By Finley Cassidy

This roundel was produced in either Egypt or Syria and was created during the 7th-9th century. By examining the silk used on medallions, we can understand whom they were intended for. The highest quality silks produced during the Byzantine and Sassanid periods were intended for a relatively small elite, while a broad range of simpler two-colored silks were used by those trying to imitate the elite style. Due to the large number of similar silks that still survive in various colors and styles, it is possible for art historians to trace the long popularity of this ancient iconography.
How was this made? By Finley Cassidy '22

It is hard to know precisely how this weft-faced compound twill (samite) polychrome silk was produced. Similar weaving can be done on fly shuttle pit looms, in which the weaver interlaces the threads of weft and warp. The shuttle then passes through the openings formed when the pedal is operated to interlock warp and weft threads. Once the shuttle is passed, the suspended sleigh is pulled to form the weave. Weft-faced silk is created by crosswise threads rather than length-wise yarns.
Here is a video showing how a weft-faced textile like this was made:

This medallion can be compared to the textile Man Subduing a Lion. Both of these textiles display the same weaving technique. However, the silk showing of Samson is more prestigious because of the use of multiple colors. Man subduing a lion displays the Jin Silk variation of the Chinese five-color scheme. These colors include red, dark blue, dark green, dark yellow, and tan, while Roundel with Amazons on Horseback only contains two colors, beige on a dark blue ground.
Who made this? By Finley Cassidy '22

The artist of this textile is unknown. However, it was likely to have been someone living and working in Egypt or Syria, probably in a mid-level but not top-level workshop. As mentioned earlier, two-color silks were not as demanding to weave as five-color silks.
What does this tell us about the crusades? By Finley Cassidy '22

The roundel with Amazons on horseback tells us that some medieval viewers were still interested in images of strong female warriors. Perhaps these images of fierce women inspired some women who either went on Crusade or who lived in Crusader kingdoms.

In addition, this silk medallion suggests that the cross cultural interactions and exchanges that occurred during the Crusades extended all the way into Egypt and Syria and crossed religious boundaries. For instance, some very similar silks show a tiny cross at the top and bottom of the roundel's circular frame, while other examples of similar silks show motifs associated with Islamic cultural contexts. It appears as if this roundel's iconography showing two Amazons on horseback was in use for many years and in different religious and cultural contexts.