Segmentum from a Tunic

Texto del museo

A fierce lion with a pronounced mane takes down a large bull on a purple red ground with stylized trees and plants. Both animals appear to be facing us, the viewer. The border displays a formal wreath of rosettes. This roundel, or circular element, and two additional matching examples suggest that they originally decorated the front and back of a tunic. The scene may be an abbreviated reference to the royal hunt, one of the pleasures of the court that served as propaganda to legitimize the authority of rulers by confirming their ability to control natural resources. The animal battle takes place on a background formed by the spreading branches of a tree with stylized flowers and leaves.