Sampul tapestry is an ancient woolen wall-hanging found at the Tarim Basin settlement of Sampul in Lop County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, close to the ancient city of Khotan. The object has many Hellenistic period features, including a Greek centaur and diadem, linking it to the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. It may represent a Yuezhi soldier, in red jacket and trousers, from the 1st century CE. Alternatively, the soldier (king) is possibly a Greco-Bactrian, an Hellenized Saka or a Greco-Saka military aristocrat. The man's head features and the spear representation are modeled similarly with the depiction of Alexander the Great on a medallion found from Roman Egypt and could represent the king. Overall, the Sampul tapestry belongs to the Greco-Bactrian culture.
Image: Sampul tapestry (complete)
Image: Urumqi Warrior
The centaur, with floral decorations.
Tapestry with head of Hermes and his staff caduceus, discovered by Aurel Stein in Loulan Kingdom.
Sampul is a town in Lop County (Luopu), Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.
Sampul tapestry, warrior
Image: Lop Carpet No.1 from Sinkiang
Image: Lop Carpet No.2 from Sinkiang