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Textile Fragment with Artemis and Actaeon(?)

Byzantine (Akhmim (?), Egypt)

5th–7th century

Not on view

The Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis, hovers in the air. She carries a bow and wears a crown of arrows. The hunter Actaeon is on the left and leans on his staff. Vibrant dancers sway in three columns. To understand their story, audiences needed a basic familiarity with Greek or Roman literature and plays. In the early Byzantine period mythological scenes like this marked status and education and were popular in domestic contexts, appearing on textiles, furniture, boxes, and chests. This fragment was likely woven at a workshop in Panopolis (Akhmim, Egypt), a town renowned for its production of gorgeous, large-scale textiles.

Textile Fragment with Artemis and Actaeon(?), Linen and wool; tapestry and plain weave, Byzantine (Akhmim (?), Egypt) — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Textile Fragment with Artemis and Actaeon(?), Linen and wool; tapestry and plain weave, Byzantine (Akhmim (?), Egypt)

Textile Fragment with Artemis and Actaeon(?), Linen and wool; tapestry and plain weave, Byzantine (Akhmim (?), Egypt)

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

© The Trustees of the British Museum

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

© The Trustees of the British Museum

Title: Textile Fragment with Artemis and Actaeon(?)

Date: 5th–7th century

Culture: Byzantine (Akhmim (?), Egypt)

Medium: Linen and wool; tapestry and plain weave

Dimensions: 58 × 72 1/16 in. (147.3 × 183 cm)

Classification: Textiles

Credit Line: The British Museum, London

Rights and Reproduction: © The Trustees of the British Museum

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.