Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database

Filter: GlobalRegion=%North Africa%;
Sort by:   Catalog #   Category   Culture
1 - 20133Records
1
Brief Records    Single Page    Back to Search Form
Go to page: <Prev
Next>

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0097   CAS 0216-0097; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Algeria
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay; Pigment
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 38.0, Width = 27.0, Length = 13.4

Catalog Number

CAS 0145-0043   CAS 0145-0043; Basket with attached lid
Category Basketry
Object Name Basket with attached lid
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Egypt
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name N/A
Materials Plant material; Commercial felt; Aniline dyes
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 19.1, Max Diam = 14.0

Catalog Number CAS 0216-0180   CAS 0216-0180; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Egypt
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture 4th-3rd century BCE
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 17.0, Width = 8.1, Length = 4.8

Catalog Number CAS 0265-0006   CAS 0265-0006; Lyre
Category Musical Instruments
Object Name Lyre
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Egypt
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data Egyptian Sudan
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name N/A
Materials Gourd; Wood; Leather; Wire
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 7.2, Width = 11.0, Length = 36.3

Catalog Number CAS 0216-0285   CAS 0216-0285; Lamp
Category Jewelry & Metalwork; Lamps
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Morocco
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Metal
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 76.5, Max Diam = 29.0

Catalog Number CAS 0216-0096   CAS 0216-0096; Lamp
Category Jewelry & Metalwork; Lamps
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Morocco
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture 1700s
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Metal: Brass
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 51.0, Depth = 1.5, Max Diam = 11.3

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0098   CAS 0216-0098; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Morocco
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data City: Fez
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay; Glaze
Description Oil lamp with deep, round bowl-shaped drip saucer with central cylindrical support for oval reservoir whose rim is folded inward from two sides to form long, narrow wick channel; Very heavy cylindrical handle is attached to rim of reservoir, rises above its rim and then curves downward and is attached to side of drip saucer; Interior and exterior surfaces are coated with green glaze; Label on bottom reads “North Africa.”
Dimensions (cm) Height = 13.5, Width = 10.3, Length = 13.3

Catalog Number CAS 0527-0001   CAS 0527-0001; Spike fiddle (3-stringed)
Category Musical Instruments
Object Name Spike fiddle (3-stringed)
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Morocco
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name N/A
Materials Turtle shell; Animal skin; Wood; Nylon string; Paint
Description 3 stringed spike-fiddle; Bow is missing.
Dimensions (cm) Width = 16.0, Thickness = 10.0, Length = 55.0

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0306   CAS 0216-0306; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Tunisia
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data Site: Carthage
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay
Description Bowl-shaped oil lamp with wide, flat flaring rim and shallow depression in center; “Carthage 1918” printed on bottom.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 3.2, Max Diam = 13.8

Catalog Number

CAS 0276-0242   CAS 0276-0242; Stone tool
Category Tools & Implements
Object Name Stone tool
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Tunisia
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data 1/2 mile southwest of the town of Gafsa
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name E.S. Ross
Materials Stone
Description
Dimensions (cm) Height = 4.0, Width = 5.0, Length = 5.1

Catalog Number

CAS 0276-0243   CAS 0276-0243; Stone tool
Category Tools & Implements
Object Name Stone tool
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Tunisia
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data 1/2 mile southwest of the town of Gafsa
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name E.S. Ross
Materials Stone
Description
Dimensions (cm) Width = 3.4, Thickness = 1.0, Length = 5.1

Catalog Number

CAS 0276-0244   CAS 0276-0244; Stone tool
Category Tools & Implements
Object Name Stone tool
Culture
Global Region North Africa
Country Tunisia
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data 1/2 mile southwest of the town of Gafsa
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name E.S. Ross
Materials Stone
Description
Dimensions (cm) Width = 5.1, Thickness = 2.2, Length = 5.9

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0094A,B   CAS 0216-0094A,B; Lamp
Category Jewelry & Metalwork; Lamps
Object Name Lamp
Culture Arab
Global Region North Africa
Country Morocco
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data City: Fez
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Metal: Brass
Description Hanging or standing lamp made from two pieces of brass; One is folded into large drip basin with two wick spouts and a high, rectangular back panel with scalloped top edge and stamped with large floral motifs; Second brass piece is folded into square reservoir with a wick spout at each corner and support on cylindrical pedestal that is soldered to bottom of drip basin.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 20.6, Width = 11.8, Length = 9.3

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0188   CAS 0216-0188; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
Culture Coptic Egyptian
Global Region North Africa
Country Egypt
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name
Date of Manufacture ca. 330-900 CE
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay
Description Oil lamp made in two pieces in a mold and then assembled; Both halves are teardrop shaped, with the lower half being flat-bottomed with flaring sides and the upper half being concave; The upper surface has a round perforation at its narrowest end which serves as the wick spout; A low relief image of a frog-like creature is positioned atop the lamp, with a round perforation at the center of its body extending into the reservoir.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 4.3, Width = 7.5, Length = 9.0

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0277   CAS 0216-0277; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
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. 270-395 CE
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay
Description Mold-pressed oil lamp with squat, round reservoir with closed top; Elongated narrow wick channel with large round mouth extends outward from side of reservoir; Pinched handle that rises above height of reservoir extends out from side opposite wick channel; Round depression in center top of reservoir is decorated with Christian symbol of the letters "P" and "X", flanked by pair of small circular vent holes and encircled by band of low relief concentric circles and floral motifs; Overall color is terra cotta.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 4.7, Width = 8.2, Length = 13.0

Catalog Number

CAS 0216-0278   CAS 0216-0278; Lamp
Category Lamps; Pottery
Object Name Lamp
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. 330-900 CE
Collection Name Allen Collection of Lamps
Materials Clay
Description Oil lamp made in two pieces in mold and then assembled; Round reservoir has extended spouted and wick channel with large diameter round perforation; Reservoir is flat-bottomed with very low circular footed base and rounded sides; Top of reservoir is closed and slightly concave; Key-shaped center area of depression is outlined in a low ridge and decorated with a low relief Christian cross, and encircled by a band of low relief concentric circular motifs or circles within squares; Two small diameter perforations are located within the arms of the cross, extending into the reservoir chamber; Exterior color is terra cotta, with traces of a red slip.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 3.9, Max Diam = 6.6, Length = 10.2

Catalog Number CAS 0389-2375   CAS 0389-2375; Coptic textile fragment
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 “Piece cut from a woman’s mantle or veil. This piece is decorated with four dark purple squares symmetrically arranged on a plain, light tan ground. The squares are patterned with geometric designs worked in tan. The ground is linen rep, 26 x 20 [warp : weft per square cm], the tapestry squares are wool on linen warp. The yarn is fine and so densely packed that the thread count cannot be determined. The weft-float patterning of the surface was worked in two gauges of linen yarn. The rep ground has fringed edges and decorative ridges made from groups of bundled weft yarns placed at intervals. The sequence is as follows, from one preserved edge to the other: fringe, 2 cm, plain weave, 2 cm. In the center of this latter is a ridge composed of four shots of bundled wefts. Next is 2 cm of bare warp followed by 1 cm of plain weave. Last there is a group of ridges about 2 cm wide containing three smaller groups, each formed from three shots of bundled weft. After this is 59 cm of plain weave, and then the edge treatment is repeated in reverse, ending with fringe. The other two edges have been cut with shears, most certainly in recent times. The tapestry squares are approximately 13 x 13 cm and are placed in the corners of an imaginary square 48 cm on a side. Their decoration was precisely worked in two gauges of natural-color linen yarn. They originally were part of [an older] linen textile that was slightly coarser than the one they now decorate. The cut edges were neatly turned under and the square whip-stitched in place. At some point in this operation the cloth behind the squares was trimmed away. All yarn is S-twist. Late fourth or early fifth century. Remarks: Fringed veils sparsely ornamented with colored squares are worn by the female martyrs shown in procession on the upper left side of the nave of Sant’Appollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy; this depiction lends support to the identification of [this] fragment as part of a woman’s garment (Paolucci 1978:58). 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 # 9, pp. 82, 94-95.]
Dimensions (cm) Width = 68.0, Length = 70.0

Catalog Number

CAS 0389-2376   CAS 0389-2376; Coptic textile fragment
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
Collection Name Rietz Collection of Textiles
Materials Linen; Wool
Description “Rectangle cut from a mantle (?) (sic). The principal motif is a star, dark purple on a plain ground, originally white but now discolored. The eight-pointed star was constructed from two overlapping squares. The top square has a cable border and a center roundel containing an intricate knot pattern delineated in linen thread. The corners contain ivy leaves and tendrils worked in two colors of yarn, saffron and cream. The colors were woven in separate shots, two saffron, one cream, and repeat (sic). The small roundel in the center was worked in the same way and in the same colors. Only the corners of the bottom square are visible - they contain vine leaves. From one of these depends, or extends, a rinceau band with a vase motif at the end. The ground is linen rep, 18-26 x 9 [warp : weft per square cm]; the motif is tapestry, wool and linen weft on grouped linen warps, 5 x 36 [warp : weft per square cm]. The surface of the tapestry motif is ornamented in weft-float patterning carried out in two gauges of linen yarn. The piece retains one selvedge, most probably the right-hand one. The sequence of weaving appears to have been as follows: (1) An area of rep was woven up to the bottom of the main motif. (2) Warps to be used for the tapestry portions were selected and a second set of heddles put in place. In doing this, the selected warps were doubled or tripled, in no obvious sequence, and the unneeded warps left to float at the back. (3) Woven next were a few centimeters of tapestry, complete with weft-float ornament. (4) Concurrent with the weaving of the tapestry, a corresponding number of centimeters of rep were woven, filling the space on either side of the tapestry insert. The shots for the rep cross the warp in a straight line and pass under the tapestry insert and behind the unused warps. A number of these are still extant; others appear to have been cut away. Small, irregular spaces around the tapestry inserts are filled in with tapestry worked in the same linen yarn used for the rep portions of the piece in order to make these filler areas less conspicuous. (5) Steps 3 and 4 were repeated until the tapestry insert was completed. After the shape of the insert was established, the weaver appears to have woven the tapestry in sections in order to define the inner forms of the design; for example, the two lower corners of the square section were worked slightly ahead of the center roundel, building up an arc into which the center roundel fits. This helps retain the symmetry of the roundel, always in danger of becoming an oval under the downward action of the beater as the weft is compressed. The use of grouped linen warps for the tapestry portions of a two-fiber textile are clearly visible in [this specimen] where the wool weft has disintegrated. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre AC 181 (Du Bourguet 1964) and Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #320 (Shurinova 1967:54). Remarks: A star motif of identical form decorates the mantle of the principal court lady of the empress Theodora shown in the sixth-century apse mosaic of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. [This] textile may have been part of a similar, though earlier, woman’s mantle. Note the protective interlace in the middle, here relegated to a relatively minor part of the design, The ivy leaves are a Classical motif that refers sometimes to the god Dionysus and his maenad followers, and sometimes to his follower, Orpheus, around whom an important cult developed in the late Roman period. Orphism is related to Pythagoreanism, which holds that numbers and geometric constructions have esoteric meanings and powers. Some late Roman or Coptic geometric ornaments may have been inspired by Pythagorean 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 # 8, pp. 82, 92-93.]
Dimensions (cm) Width = 33.0, Length = 54.0

Catalog Number

CAS 0389-2377   CAS 0389-2377; Coptic textile fragment
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. 300-350 CE
Collection Name Rietz Collection of Textiles
Materials Linen; Wool
Description “Tapestry insert cut from a linen textile. The design is a dark, purple-tinged brown, eight-pointed star composed of two separate, never-ending knots, interlaced together. The bands of the interlace are double; one half is plain, the other filled with a spiral-wave design. The square and triangular spaces not covered by the bands are filled with trefoils; the octagon in the middle is filled with an allover (sic) design of lozenges. What little remains of the ground is cream-colored and the patterning is tan. The insert is made from wool and linen wefts woven on grouped linen warp, 6 x 58 [warp : weft per square cm], with weft-float patterning in two sizes of linen yarn. Originally part of a large (?) (sic) linen textile, now all that remains is this tapestry insert. It was woven in segments, horizontal and vertical bars and triangles. The outlines of these forms correspond to the lines of the interlace and its filler motifs. Slits were whip-stitched closed with linen yarn, an application that is at once practical and decorative. The wool yarn may have been purple originally. Color changes indicate that at least two different dye lots of yarn were used. These changes also testify to the section-by-section method of weaving described. All yarn is S-twist. First half of the fourth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre AC 150 (Du Bourguet 1964, no. A 11) and Washington D.C. (sic), Textile Museum 71.104 (Trilling 1982, no. 82). Remarks: A patch pasted on the back in recent times could be a scrap of the original linen that surrounded the insert. The intact textile may have been an altar cloth. The southern lunette of the sanctuary of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy contains a mosaic depicting the sacrifices of Abel and Melchizedek (Grabar 1966:156). The cloth on their alter is ornamented with an eight-pointed star very similar in form to [this] specimen. Complex interlace patterns are almost universally believed to have protective powers, guarding against the evil eye. The tendency when looking at such a pattern is to trace the path of the interlace visually, thus keeping the eye moving. (It was a fixed stare that was considered dangerous.) Some ancient beliefs held that even sacred things needed protection from the evil eye. 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 # 4, pp. 82, 86-87.]
Dimensions (cm) Width = 28.0, Length = 30.0

Catalog Number CAS 0389-2378   CAS 0389-2378; Coptic textile fragment
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. 500-535 CE
Collection Name Rietz Collection of Textiles
Materials Linen; Wool
Description “Fragment of a decorated textile. The framework of the design is a simple rinceau. In the roundels formed by the stems are a kneeling man, a basket, and a large-eyed hound wearing a broad collar. Vine and figures are purple with touches of yellow, and the basket is red, yellow, and green. The background is cream. What remains of the textile is tapestry weave, wool and linen wefts on paired linen warps, 7 x 14 [warp : weft per square cm]. The weft shots follow the curves of the design rather than crossing in straight lines. The warps are strictly divided, two by two. All yarn is S-twist. Early sixth century. Remarks: Like Number 28 [CAS 0389-2385], this fragment may have been a part of a square cushion ornament. For the symbolism of the dog wearing a collar see remarks [for CAS 0389-2433]. [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 # 30, pp. 116, 120-121.]
Dimensions (cm) Width = 8.0, Length = 27.0
1 - 20133Records
1
Brief Records    Single Page    Back to Search Form
Go to page: <Prev
Next>
CalAcademy Footer