| Description |
“Fragment of a square tunic ornament. The brown pattern elements that decorate this fragment have a beige, originally white, ground. The motif is square, and it is bordered with small roundels, ‘pearls,’ seven on a side. A large roundel in the center contains a depiction of a running hound surrounded by leafy sprays. Most of what remains of this fragment was woven in tapestry on grouped linen warps, wool and linen weft, 6 x 24-48 [warp : weft per square cm], and rep, all linen, 16 x 14 [warp : weft per square cm]. Normal tapestry technique with weft shots curved to accentuate lines of design (sic). All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: The ‘pearl’ border of this piece is a common design feature of Persian silks. In Eastern art, jeweled frames imply that the subject so decorated is special in some way - magical or spiritual. 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 # 23, pp. 102, 112-113.] |
