7th century AD or later. A fragment of a Late Sassanian or Sogdian silk, representing a ruler hunting a lion on horseback using a composite bow, his costume consisting of a very elaborate headdress composed of a diadem-crown, with a disc on the forehead an ensemble fastened to it from above presenting a winged disc surmounted by a crescent and a sphere in the middle, with the long ends of a band hanging behind, forming a Sassanian royal crown; the body is clothed in a kaftan secured by a kamar belt, a short jacket, leggings; riding a brown horse with a very elaborate horse harness, the quarry a spirited lion on the right side; all bordered by a hexagonal frame, with foliage and garlands on the edges, other foliage decoration on the corners and under the horseman. See Ghirsman, R., Persian Art. The Parthian and Sassanian Dynasties, New York, 1962; Feltham, H., Lions, Silks and Silver: The Influence of Sasanian Persia,Philadelphia, 2010, fig.9, for a similar silk piece; Yatsenko, S.J., 'Sogdian Costume in Chinese and Sogdian Art of the 6th-8th cc' in Malinowski, G., Paro?, A. and Szmoniewski, B.Sz., Serica – Da Qin. Studies in Archaeology, Philology and History on Sino Western Relations (Selected Problems), Wroc?aw, 2012. 24 grams, 30 x 30cm (12 x 12"). Property of a London gentleman; formerly with Mahboubian Gallery, London, UK; acquired before 1972; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10168-166853. Sassanian weavers, possibly building on Syrian draw-loom technology, developed a compound weft silk twill with elaborate repeating motifs such as winged lions, hunting scenes, tree of life patterns, and opposing birds, each motif enclosed within a pearl-like roundel, and each group of roundels separated by scrolling, geometric plant forms. Both the heraldic animal and human elements and the interlocking plant motifs inspired Eastern and Western design for centuries to come. Sogdiana was a centre of trade both in raw silk from China and in textiles. Part of the Sassanian empire until the mid-sixth century, its oasis cultures traded in and copied luxury goods, particularly silks, developing looms and techniques designed to produce the highly desirable international style. In the late sixth century, the Sogdian merchant and weaver, He Tuo, arrived in Nanking, China. One of the favourite motifs was the royal lion hunt. Lions and lion hunts are still motifs of the arts of Iran and Central Asia, and both feature prominently in the designs of carpets such as the Iranian Fars rugs and the animal rugs of Khotan.