Fragment of a Furnishing Textile with Mounted Rider

This fragment of a larger furnishing textile may have covered a bed or a sofa. The purple square, carefully woven with a tapestry technique, features contemporary imagery related to hunting, with a central rider on horseback encircled by medallions of vegetation and animals. The complete piece, comprised largely of loop pile weave, would have functioned as padding to create a soft surface. The inclusion of such a detailed tapestry design demonstrates that even an object made for comfort could also introduce rich and colorful adornment into the home.