Roundel with Amazons on Horseback (DO BZ1946.15)
By Finley Cassidy '22
This rectangular silk fragment containing a single medallion shows two perfectly symmetrical strong fearsome female figures sitting on horseback. They have arrows drawn, ready to hunt down their prey. Each warrior is single-breasted; this depiction comes from the idea 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. This medallion is proof that cross cultural interactions and exchanges that occurred during the Crusades extended all the way into Egypt and Syria.