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| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2395 | |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Antinoöpolis (Shaikh Abada aka El Sheik Abara) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 400-500 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Square tunic ornament. The ground is tan, the ornament dull purple and cream. The design is based upon a square. This has a reversed arcade border and smaller square in its center with a cruciform-knot filler motif. The remainder of the basic square is filled with four gammulae, two of them decorated with filler motifs of disks and fish-form blobs, two with a pattern composed of cruciform rosettes. The technique is tapestry on grouped linen warps with wool and linen weft, 11 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. Some of the ornament is done in weft floats. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: The knot motif used on this piece may be a form of cross. The design organization is the same as that of the squares on Number 9 [CAS 0389-2375], but the filler motifs are much coarser. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 17-26 (CAS 0389-2379, -2381, -2383, -2387, -2395, -2408A,B, -2418, -2428, -2431, -2587)] are reportedly from Shaikh Abada, or El Sheik Abara - the Arabic name for the site is transliterated variously. The ancient city was named Antinoöpolis after a beautiful Greek youth who drowned near there. It was founded in his memory by the emperor Hadrian around A.D. 13. A major weaving center in antiquity, some of its products have a classical flavor that may derive from Hadrian’s interest in early Greek art. The archaic style of Greece was revived during his reign. Later, in the Christian period, Antinoöpolis became the site of a famous monastery founded by Saint Samuel. While it is impossible to place total reliance on antique dealers’ attributions, the textiles in this group have similarities that make a common source believable. It is assumed that Rietz purchased them as a group, perhaps from a dealer in the vicinity.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 17, pp. 102, 105.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.5, Length = 13.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2396 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 800-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Section of a tunic neck band (?) (sic). The fragment is a polychrome band with one plain border and one jeweled border of rectangular ‘gems’ in plain settings. The design motifs are flower sprays and a nude female dancer with a narrow, green scarf draped over her left arm and a basket or cornucopia of flowers held in her raised right hand. The figure and the borders are worked in beige, light green, and black on a dark rose-red ground. The band is woven in tapestry on linen warp with wool and linen weft, 10 x 58 [warp : weft per square cm]. One border is worked in such a manner as to give a three-dimensional effect, accomplished by overpacking (sic) the weft, thus causing the surface to pucker. There is a double row of twining on one end. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Remarks: The piece was reused in antiquity. Nudity, as mentioned earlier [CAS 0389-2539], had connotations of purity. A tunic fragment in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum of Art acc. no. 38.753, is decorated with a nude woman dancing in an area defined by a representation of a chain supporting a jeweled cross (Thompson 1971:82-83). [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 54, pp. 136, 160.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.0, Length = 17.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2397 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 270-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Square emblem cut from a pallium (?) (sic). The square has a red-purple ground with a pattern worked in white. The design consists of a border of stylized grape leaves surrounding a center block composed of four similar grape leaves. At the top and bottom of the square is a cable pattern that degenerates at the sides, becoming a sketchy design suggesting chicken scratches. The little that remains of the ground was woven in linen rep, 22 x 9 [warp : weft per square cm]. The background of the emblem was woven in tapestry, wool weft on grouped linen warps, 16 x 13 [warp : weft per square cm]. The details of the design were worked in a combination of embroidery and weft floats. The tapestry background of the emblem was woven in evenly placed straight shots; the weft-float surface pattern was worked over it as the background weaving progressed. All yarn is S-twist. Late third or early fourth century. Remarks: The pallium, as it is shown worn by ordinary men in Early Christian art, is commonly decorated with square purple emblems. Such emblems may have signified social position or office. The simple design of this specimen might have been intended to appeal to a follower of one of the more austere schools of philosophy. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 1, pp. 82-84.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 18.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2398 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 270-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Oval dress ornament. The ornament is an orbiculum with a linear pattern of diagonally-placed (sic) meander bands, delineated in tan on a red-purple ground. The motif was woven in the tapestry technique, in fine wool yarn on paired linen warps, 8 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. The surface patterning was created from weft floats of undyed linen thread. The ground motif was woven in sections that conform to the main lines of the surface patterning. All yarn is S-twist. Late third or early fourth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre (Du Bourguet 1964, no. A 23). Remarks: Tunics in Early Christian and Byzantine art were often decorated with matching sets of round, square, or oval motifs, one motif over each shoulder and two others placed in the region of the knees. It is possible that they were intended to guard the vital arm and knee joints from real or imagined dangers. The delicate, restrained linear decoration is typical of the period. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 3, pp. 82, 84-85.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 16.5 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2399 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Bawit (Baweet), probably | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Part of a coverlet or hanging from Bawit (?) (sic). The allover (sic) design is composed of plain band alternating with figured ones. The figured bands have compound borders consisting of a plain band and one occupied by trefoils linked by half-circles. Fabulous beings and symmetrical plant forms comprise the motifs of the figured bands. The ground is dark pink, and the dividing borders and figures are worked in dull red, beige, medium pink, blue-green, and black. The weave is tapestry, worked entirely in wool, 7 x 38 [warp : weft per square cm]. The warp has been dyed. All yarn is S-twist. Seventh century. Remarks: The fanciful nature of the figures, the trefoil borders, and the general organization of the design all recall the much earlier banded embroidered textile found in Noin Ula, which has Hellenistic elements in its design (Trever 1932, pl. 3, 7). For notes on the presumed find site of [this] textile see the remarks for Number 37 [CAS 0389-2380]. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 43, pp. 45, 136, 147; color plate, p. 146.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15.0, Length = 26.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2400 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Assyūt (Assuit) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Two fragments of a tunic from Assyūt [CAS 0389-2400, 0389-2404]. One fragment is from the sleeve of the tunic and is ornamented with a polychrome design organized in bands on a beige ground. The lower two bands are decorated with a pink-and-green lozenge pattern with Greek crosses as filler motifs. These have yellow and green borders of spiral-wave design (sic). The upper band [CAS 0389-2400] contains two rows of dark blue and light green flying genii wearing derbylike (sic) hats and carrying large bowls in their outstretched arms. The other fragment [CAS 0389-2404] is from the yoke. This fragment contains three figured bands separated by rows of geometric motifs resembling spearheads and hooks in shades of yellow, green, and pink. The upper two figured bands contain pink and dark blue running hounds, each in a cartouche. The lower bands contain green creatures with long snouts, crocodiles (?) (sic). The technique of both pieces is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on two-ply Z-twist linen warps. The thread count of the sleeve piece is 5 x 54 [warp : weft per square cm], of the yoke piece, 6 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. Portions of both side selvedges are preserved on the sleeve fragment. Seventh century. Remarks: Assyūt, the presumed provenance of this piece, may not have been its place of manufacture. The figure style of the textile places it in a class of textiles produced in a weaving center believed to have been located farther south, in Upper Egypt. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 27-40 (CAS 0389-2378, -2380, -2385, -2386, -2388, -2400, -2404, -2412, -2429, -2430, -2433, -2451, -2452, -2539, -2584, -2585):] By the sixth century two basic types of textile ornaments were used to decorate garments. One, which was in use before the fourth century, was essentially monochrome. Designs in the monochrome class were both non-representational and figurative - the latter included a wide range of subject matter: plant, animal, human, and mythological. The second type is polychrome. Polychrome textiles had been made earlier, but not for use as garments. Extant examples are thought to have been decorative hangings, woven pictures as it were, that are commonly called tapestries. The use of what are essentially miniature tapestries for embellishing clothing is believed to have begun in the sixth century and to have lasted well into the Muslim period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 35A, pp. 116, 128-129.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.0, Length = 27.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2401 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Assuit | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 1000-1100 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Section of a tunic sleeve. The sleeve has a plain beige ground with a rectangular red-purple insert. The insert is bordered top and bottom with a band of small crosses and is divided into three parts. An oval in the middle panel contains an equal-armed cross, a lesser oval with (sic) a small cross at the center. The arms of the main cross are decorated with a stylized vine with leaves, grape clusters, and tendrils. The side panels are divided down the center by a band of small crosses and are filled with motifs that vaguely suggest crosses and anchors. The piece is wool, tapestry weave with different thread counts in the ground and ornament, [respectively] 12 x 32 [warp : weft per square cm] and 11 x 64 [warp : weft per square cm]. There are some embroidered details. Three selvedges are preserved. The side selvedges were woven over two warp bundles to make a firm edge. The upper selvedge was finished by twisting unused warp ends in such a way as to form a corded edge. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh century. Remarks: The somewhat obscure nature of the Christian symbols may have been a response to a ruling that required Christians to signify their religion by their dress combined with a desire on the part of the wearer to make such indicators as inconspicuous as possible. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 67, pp. 136, 176, 179; color plate, p. 145.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 25.0, Length = 28.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2402 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 300-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Section cut from a tunic sleeve. The tan ground, originally white, bears two bands decorated with dark purple, double-scroll motifs alternating with small roundels. Each roundel is ornamented with a small rosette. The ground is linen rep, 24 x 15 [warp : weft per square cm], the inserts wool tapestry, 10 x 26 [warp : weft per square cm], with weft-floated ornament. Both right and left selvedges are preserved. The weaving of the ornamental motifs appears to have started at the left, and each motif was completed before the next one was started. Above the decorated bands is a shadow band composed of four shots of bundled wefts. The method of inserting weft floats can be clearly seen on the reverse side. All yarn is S-twist. Early fourth century. Remarks: White tunics with plain or simply ornamented, double purple sleeve bands occur frequently in Early Christian art. Usually the tunics also carried matching bands descending vertically from the shoulders on both the front and the back. Like the [textile CAS 0389-2397], the modest design might have been considered suitable for a person of philosophical bent. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 2, pp. 1, 82, 84-85; color plate, p. 67.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 20.0, Length = 33.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2403 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 400-500 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic sleeve ornament. The ornament consists of two dark purple bands, each bearing an identical angular knot interlace. Between the bands is a row of two varieties of symmetrical cartouches, dark purple in color. The ground is tan linen rep. The linen rep ground has a count of 13 x 8 [warp : weft per square cm], and is ornamented with a ridged band made from three shots of bundled wefts. The tapestry insert was woven in wool and linen weft on linen warp, 11 x 54 [warp : weft per square cm], in a normal tapestry weave with weft-float ornamentation. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century (?) (sic). Remarks: This sleeve ornament was reused in antiquity. At present, it is lightly glued to the plain rep textile. This latter is ancient, and may be part of the tunic to which the sleeve ornament last belonged. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 10, pp. 82, 96-97.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.0, Length = 33.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2404 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Assyūt (Assuit) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Two fragments of a tunic from Assyūt [CAS 0389-2400, 0389-2404]. One fragment is from the sleeve of the tunic and is ornamented with a polychrome design organized in bands on a beige ground. The lower two bands are decorated with a pink-and-green lozenge pattern with Greek crosses as filler motifs. These have yellow and green borders of spiral-wave design (sic). The upper band [CAS 0389-2400] contains two rows of dark blue and light green flying genii wearing derbylike (sic) hats and carrying large bowls in their outstretched arms. The other fragment [CAS 0389-2404] is from the yoke. This fragment contains three figured bands separated by rows of geometric motifs resembling spearheads and hooks in shades of yellow, green, and pink. The upper two figured bands contain pink and dark blue running hounds, each in a cartouche. The lower bands contain green creatures with long snouts, crocodiles (?) (sic). The technique of both pieces is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on two-ply Z-twist linen warps. The thread count of the sleeve piece is 5 x 54 [warp : weft per square cm], of the yoke piece, 6 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. Portions of both side selvedges are preserved on the sleeve fragment. Seventh century. Remarks: Assyūt, the presumed provenance of this piece, may not have been its place of manufacture. The figure style of the textile places it in a class of textiles produced in a weaving center believed to have been located farther south, in Upper Egypt. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 27-40 (CAS 0389-2378, -2380, -2385, -2386, -2388, -2400, -2404, -2412, -2429, -2430, -2433, -2451, -2452, -2539, -2584, -2585):] By the sixth century two basic types of textile ornaments were used to decorate garments. One, which was in use before the fourth century, was essentially monochrome. Designs in the monochrome class were both non-representational and figurative - the latter included a wide range of subject matter: plant, animal, human, and mythological. The second type is polychrome. Polychrome textiles had been made earlier, but not for use as garments. Extant examples are thought to have been decorative hangings, woven pictures as it were, that are commonly called tapestries. The use of what are essentially miniature tapestries for embellishing clothing is believed to have begun in the sixth century and to have lasted well into the Muslim period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 35B, pp. 116, 128-129; color plate, p. 71.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 20.0, Length = 22.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2405 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Upper portion of a tunic front. The polychrome design on a dark pink ground is organized as a rectangular panel framed on three sides by plain and figured dark blue bands. Some of the figures appear to represent butterflies: the other are nude dancer. At the upper end of the panel is a rectangle containing stylized figures that could represent satyrs and maenads. Standing in the center is an imposing, robed figure. The technique is tapestry, 7 x 30 [warp : weft per square cm], woven entirely in wool and so carefully worked that the front and the back are nearly identical. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: The figure in the center may be Dionysus or Orpheus. Some late antique religious cults worshipped Dionysus or Orpheus in connection with Neopythagoreanism, interpreting them as representations of sacrifice and rebirth. The figures in the border, butterflies and putti, are emblems of Eros and Psyche, mythical figures whose story was given meaning on a metaphysical level by certain pagan-influenced thinkers of the early Christian era. The form of the dot-cluster filler motifs is typical of textiles known to have been woven during the Fatimid period which helps date this piece. The dark pink ground is also a late feature. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 55, pp. 136, 160-163.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 38.0, Length = 27.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2406 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 370-435 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Pallium ornament. The dark purple rectangle has a wide border of two plain bands edging a third band decorated with widely spaced circles. The circles contain four-petaled rosette filler-motifs. In the center of the rectangle is an elaborate curvilinear geometric interlace. The rectangle was worked in wool and linen on grouped linen warps, 6 x 40 [warp : weft per square cm]. The weave is tapestry. The lines of the design were carried out in weft floats and embroidery done during the course of the weaving. Three techniques: tapestry, ressort, and embroidery, are skillfully combined in the decoration of [this specimen]. All yarn is S-twist. Late fourth or early fifth century. Remarks: In antiquity, this piece was cut from the garment it decorated originally and applied to another. White pallia ornamented with large purple rectangles were worn by court officials in late antique times, as evidenced by works of art; for example, the apse mosaic of the emperor Justinian and his court in San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy (Grabar 1966:158-164; Paolucci 1978:46, 47, 50, 51). [This] example is earlier, judging from the style of the interlace design. The interlace design, like that of Number 4 [CAS 0389-2377], may have been intended to avert, or divert, the evil eye, protecting the wearer of the ornament from its baleful effects. A highly placed official would need such protection, given the rough nature of the politics of the period. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 7, pp. 82, 90-91; color plate, p. 68.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 34.0, Length = 39.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2407 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 300-400 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Oval pallium ornament. The design is based upon a slightly distorted dark purple circle with a tan, originally white, spiral-wave border. Its center is filled with a grid design. Alternate intersections of the grid lines are decorated with four-petaled rosettes. Figure-eight motifs occupy the grid rectangles. The ground has been completely removed; it was most probably linen rep. The ornament itself is tapestry, wool and linen weft on linen warp, 8 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm]. There is an extraordinary displacement of warp threads. The fine linear details of the design were worked in weft floats, the solid areas were carried out in tapestry. Abrupt changes in the warp direction are clearly visible in the border region. All yarn is S-twist. Fourth century. Related example: Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #362 (Shurinova 1967:64). Remarks: The warp displacement suggests that this piece was woven on a warp-weighted loom. The warp-weighted loom was retained by the Romans for weaving the garments worn by brides and those worn by young men when they came of age. Also, special types of weaving techniques are easier to carry out on this most ancient loom, a fact which might account for its continued preservation. The handsome appearance of this roundel, with its fine linear pattern, would certainly make it an appropriate decoration for a garment worn during a serious, formal ceremony. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 6, pp. 82, 88-89.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 34.0, Length = 35.5 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2408A,B |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragments (2) | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Antinoöpolis (Shaikh Abada aka El Sheik Abara) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 500-600 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Pair of tunic sleeve ornaments. Each sleeve ornament consists of two nearly identical bands, with brownish purple figures and borders on the tan, originally white, ground. The same design elements occur on both sleeves. Each band has inverted arcade borders and crenellated ends. At the upper end of three of the bands is a nude warrior carrying a shield, at the lower another nude warrior wearing a sword-belt and holding the left hand aloft. The same warriors appear on the fourth band, but their positions are reversed. Between the two warriors, and placed at a right angle to their line or march, is a small running lion. Dots act as filler motif. The foundation is linen rep, 16 x 12 [warp : weft per square cm]; the ornamentation is tapestry, wool and linen on linen warp, 8 x 36 [warp : weft per square cm], with weft float details. Normal tapestry technique was used with a minimal use of weft floats. The tapestry elements are whip-stitched to the rep textile pieces, an indication that the pieces were originally part of another garment. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Remarks: See remarks for Number 16 [CAS 0389-2426], which has some of the same motifs but which is earlier in style. The raised hand is an ancient gesture of blessing or protection. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 17-26 (CAS 0389-2379, -2381, -2383, -2387, -2395, -2408A,B, -2418, -2428, -2431, -2587)] are reportedly from Shaikh Abada, or El Sheik Abara - the Arabic name for the site is transliterated variously. The ancient city was named Antinoöpolis after a beautiful Greek youth who drowned near there. It was founded in his memory by the emperor Hadrian around A.D. 13. A major weaving center in antiquity, some of its products have a classical flavor that may derive from Hadrian’s interest in early Greek art. The archaic style of Greece was revived during his reign. Later, in the Christian period, Antinoöpolis became the site of a famous monastery founded by Saint Samuel. While it is impossible to place total reliance on antique dealers’ attributions, the textiles in this group have similarities that make a common source believable. It is assumed that Rietz purchased them as a group, perhaps from a dealer in the vicinity.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 24, pp. i, 102, 112-113.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 25.0; 30.0, Length = 20.0; 21.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2409 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Rectangle cut from the upper part of a tunic. The clavi bands have semicircular ends and borders of jewel inlay with epsilon-shaped cells. Each band is ornamented with a haloed figure wearing an elaborate robe and carrying a lyre. The space remaining is occupied by four symmetrical plant motifs. The tapestry bands are worked in dark yellow, dull red, dark blue, light green, and tan. The plain foundation textile is a brownish yellow. The weave of both the ground and the clavi is tapestry, wool warp and weft, 8-10 x 34 [warp : weft per square cm]. The clavi are whip-stitched to the plain tapestry textile. All yarn is S-twist. Seventh century. Related examples: Figures depicted in the same style appear on a piece in Washington, D.C., Textile Museum (Riefstahl 1941:257). See also Kybelova (1967:130, pl. 86). Remarks: From this point onward the human figure becomes increasingly stylized, moving farther and farther away from Greek anatomical canons. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 42, pp. 136-138; color plate, p. 139.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 34.0, Length = 43.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2410 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Strip cut from a patterned tunic. The original textile of which this is a portion appears to have had an overall design organized around rows of battlement meander. The meander is dark blue and is decorated with six-petaled rosettes. The spaces delineated by the bends in the meander are filled with tau motifs, with bifurcated bases, and are flanked by large, six-petaled rosettes. The ground is tan, and the motifs are worked in black, tan, red, yellow, light blue, and pink. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on linen two-ply Z-twist warp, 9 x 56 [warp : weft per square cm]. Tenth century. Remarks: Much of what characterizes Coptic art is absent from this colorful textile with its completely nonrepresentational decoration. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 63, pp. 136, 170-171.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.0, Length = 39.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2411 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | al-BahnasÄ (al-Bahnasa aka Oxyrhynchus) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 1000-1100 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic yoke fragment from al-BahnasÄ. The dull purple band ornament is bordered with a spiral-wave design. The interior is divided into three small bands, two plain ones framing a third containing symmetrical linear motifs representing stylized grapevines. Shortly past the point where the band turns the corner is a different motif, perhaps an amphora. These designs are worked in cream color. A small fragment of the body of the tunic remains, indicating that it was dark orange. The tunic was woven in the tapestry technique with wool warp and weft, 6 x 40 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh century (?) (sic). Remarks: When complete, this garment must have been both colorful and elegant with its color scheme of dull purple and dark orange. The amphora and vine symbol was a common Christian motif. Al-BahnasÄ, better known as Oxyrhynchus, was one of the great weaving centers of Egypt in the Coptic period. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 68, pp. 136, 178, 193.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 9.0, Length = 41.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2412 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 800-900 CE, possibly | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Fragments of tunic clavi. The design is worked in brownish purple on a beige ground. The band has spiral-wave edge borders enclosing motifs of warriors and lions. The warriors hold their right hands in the air. The lions are positioned at right angles to the ground lines of the warriors. The piece was woven in tapestry with wool warp and weft, 7 x 40 [warp : weft per square cm]. The details are worked in weft floats. There are some grouped wefts in the ground. All yarn is S-twist. [A] late example of a common sixth-century design. It may be ninth century in date. Remarks: The two fragments belong to the same garment but are not continuous. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 27-40 (CAS 0389-2378, -2380, -2385, -2386, -2388, -2400, -2404, -2412, -2429, -2430, -2433, -2451, -2452, -2539, -2584, -2585):] By the sixth century two basic types of textile ornaments were used to decorate garments. One, which was in use before the fourth century, was essentially monochrome. Designs in the monochrome class were both non-representational and figurative - the latter included a wide range of subject matter: plant, animal, human, and mythological. The second type is polychrome. Polychrome textiles had been made earlier, but not for use as garments. Extant examples are thought to have been decorative hangings, woven pictures as it were, that are commonly called tapestries. The use of what are essentially miniature tapestries for embellishing clothing is believed to have begun in the sixth century and to have lasted well into the Muslim period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 32, pp. 116, 124-125.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 7.5, Length = 27.5 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2413 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 300-400 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Pair of tunic clavi sewn together to form a wide band. The clavi are dull purple bands with scalloped edges. Their decoration consists of a small, undulating ladder band down the centers with filler-motifs of circles in two sizes. The larger circles contain various ornaments: circles with dot-clusters, rings of dots, four-petaled rosettes, hooked crosses, and a motif suggesting a laurel wreath. The ground is linen rep, 28 x 20 [warp : weft per square cm]; the clavi are woven in tapestry warps, 9 x 68 [warp : weft per square cm]. The design of the bands is carried out principally in an erratic weft-float technique. All yarn is S-twist. Fourth century. Related example: Paris, Louvre X4392 (Du Bourguet 1964). Remarks: The piece is composed of two bands sewn together, possibly in antiquity. One band retains a strip of rep along one edge and a portion of the selvedge. The tunic to which the clavi belonged must have been a sober and dignified garment made in the best Roman tradition. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 5, pp. 15, 82, 86-87.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 35.0, Length = 13.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2414 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Decorated band fragment. The piece has borders ornamented with motifs of fish. In one section the fish motif is interrupted by a rectangular panel containing six ovals. The latter may depict gems in broad settings. The middle of the band is filled with an overall pattern of symmetrical floral motifs. The ground is red; the jewels are green; and the design is worked in tan, blue-green, and black. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on two-ply Z-twist warp, 10 x 66 [warp : weft per square cm]. Tenth century. Remarks: The fish may or may not symbolize Christ; their association with jewels suggests that their meaning has religious connotations. The tight placement of the motifs and the minimum of background are in marked contrast to earlier Coptic design habits and may be the result of Arabian influence. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 45, pp. 136, 149.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 33.0, Length = 8.0 | |
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