Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2418 | |
| 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 | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic fragment with clavus section. The clavus band is bordered with a spiral-wave pattern and filled with lozenges, solid lozenges alternating with outlined ones. At one point, the band is interrupted by a rectangle containing a motif representing a dolphin. The band terminates with a pendant leaf on a long stem. The design is entirely worked in purple. The ground is yellowish, perhaps the natural color of the wool discolored by time. This piece was woven entirely in wool. The basic weave is tabby, 13 x 13 [warp : weft per square cm]. The tapestry insert was woven on grouped warps. From the reverse side of the piece it is evident that the spiral border was woven as a series of lopsided scallops. ‘Stitches’ in the center of the upper parts of the scallops produce the effect of a spiral-wave motif. (These are not actually stitches in the true sense, but extensions of the background weave.) The dots in the ground are connected by long weft floats. Short, self-colored bands were formed in the weft by putting a weft bundle partway (sic) through the shed and then returning it in the counter-shed. About 5 cm of three of these bands are extant. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Dolphins, believed by ancient and some modern peoples to save humans from drowning, are symbols of salvation in several religions. In ancient times, dolphins were thought to be fish. A depiction of a fish was frequently used to symbolize Christ because in Greek, the word for fish, ’IXΘYˊΣ,* can be read as an acrostic for a sentence that translated means ‘Jesus Christ Son of God Savior.’ The dolphin-fish motif could have been worn by both pagans and Christians for much the same purpose, 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 # 19, pp. 102, 106-107.] *Non-Roman alphabet characters are not legible in the online listing. Greek letters, such as those included here, appear as Roman letters but may be inaccurately transcribed. Other scripts, such as Japanese, appear as a series of question marks. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 16.0, Length = 38.0 | |