The brocades wrought with figures of animals in gold, of which Marco
speaks, are still a specialite at Benares, where they are known by the
name of Shikargah or hunting-grounds, which is nearly a translation of
the name Thard-wahsh "beast-hunts," by which they were known to the
mediaeval Saracens. (See Q. Makrizi, IV. 69-70.) Plautus speaks of such
patterns in carpets, the produce of Alexandria - "Alexandrina belluata
conchyliata tapetia." Athenaeus speaks of Persian carpets of like
description at an extravagant entertainment given by Antiochus Epiphanes;
and the same author cites a banquet given in Persia by Alexander, at which
there figured costly curtains embroidered with animals. In the 4th century
Asterius, Bishop of Amasia in Pontus, rebukes the Christians who indulge
in such attire: "You find upon them lions, panthers, bears, huntsmen,
woods, and rocks; whilst the more devout display Christ and His disciples,
with the stories of His miracles," etc. And Sidonius alludes to upholstery
of like character:
"Peregrina det supellex
* * *
Ubi torvus, et per artem
Resupina flexus ora,
It equo reditque telo
Simulacra bestiarum
Fugiens fugansque Parthus." (Epist. ix. 13.)
A modern Kashmir example of such work is shown under ch. xvii.
(D'Avezac, p. 524; Pegolotti, in Cathay, 295, 306; I. B. II. 309,
388, 422; III.
![The Travels Of Marco Polo - Volume 1 Of 2 By Marco Polo And Rustichello Of Pisa
- Peplos Babylonios]
of varied colours marvellously wrought. Pliny says King Attalus invented
the intertexture of cloth with gold; but the - Page 491](../images/travel.jpg)
