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Representations of Phyllis riding Aristotle were quite popular from the thirteenth century on, appearing in manuscripts, on domestic vessels, and even in church sculpture. The Maltererteppich itself was likely once a cover for a bench, and was commissioned by Johannes Malterer, either for a marriage or for the convent where his sister Anna was a nun (Smith, 1990). On the Maltererteppich, however, the legend of Phyllis and Aristotle joins with scenes from the story of Samson, a similar legend concerning the poet Virgil, narrative moments from tales of the Arthurian knight Iwaine, and, finally, a lady with a unicorn. Scholars have debated the purpose of employing this “Power of Women topos” on a tapestry meant for a convent, arguing that the narrative warns of the dangers of fleshly love over spiritual love. If the tapestry celebrated the occasion of a marriage, however, the imagery may have been intended to demonstrate the transformative power of love itself.