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Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2425 | |
| 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 | “Fragment of a clavus. The clavus has a tan ground, originally white, and is decorated with an inhabited rinceau worked in light brown. The inhabitants are running animals - a hare, a lion, and an antelope. The basic weave is linen rep, 20 x 10 [warp : weft per square cm], with a wool and linen tapestry insert woven on grouped warps, 7 x 32 [warp : weft per square cm]. The tapestry wefts are curved to help define the design. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Related examples: An entire tunic with similar motifs is in London, Victoria and Albert Museum (Kendrick 1920:41, pl. 2). Remarks: Scroll motifs in the form of leafy vines incorporating various zoomorphic motifs have late antique origins but continued to be popular in Early Christian and Medieval art. Running animals sometimes symbolize a hunt, the assumption being that something or someone is chasing them. The hunt, in turn, has its symbolism: the chase refers to the attempt to drive out various evils from an individual’s life and psyche. Note that the lion in this context has a very different meaning than the isolated lion in [specimen CAS 0389-2586]. 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 # 15, pp. 82, 100-101.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 30.0, Length = 10.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2426 |  |
| 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 | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic sleeve band fragment. The decorated area is occupied by dark, brownish purple figures and motifs on a dull yellow ground. The band has crenellated ends and reverse-arcade side borders. At each end is the figure of a man, nude except for a diagonal belt and long scarf, with one hand raised as if in a salute. Between the men are two lions, facing in opposite directions. The fragment is woven in a normal tapestry technique, 9 x 30-40 [warp : weft per square cm], entirely in wool. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: This is a sophisticated version of a very common Coptic textile motif that combines nude warriors (identified as such by sword-belts) and lions. The nudity of the warriors signifies that their battle is one of the spirit, a fight with the bestial side of their natures, symbolized here by the lions. The unnatural orientation of the lions in relation to the warriors is typical of the large class of Coptic textiles to which this example belongs. This design feature is also found on some drawloom textiles of the fifth century (Trilling 1982, no. 108). On these textiles, the position of the animals could have been dictated by certain technical limitations of the drawloom. The tapestry pieces with lions or other quadrupeds placed in a vertical position may derive from designs intended for drawloom weaving or from actual textiles woven on this loom. 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 # 16, pp. 82, 102-103.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 28.0, Length = 8.5 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2427 |  |
| 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, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Mantle (?) (sic) fragment. What remains of the garment is a band with dark yellow ground and brownish purple ornamentation. It has a compound border composed of a plain solid-color band edged with an outer band of two-pronged forks alternating with triple-dot clusters. The interior motifs consist of repeated units: an amphora from which grows a double vine with long, elaborate tendrils, which form enclosures for a mythical monster and a centaur. Each amphora sits on a rounded base decorated with a pair of fish and a pair of birds. The piece is tapestry, normal in weave, but exceptionally fine. All yarn is S-twist. Seventh century or later. Remarks: The design recalls Roman architectural plaster decoration. Like the previous example [CAS 0389-2416], the figures are subordinate to the geometric and floral motifs. The figures appear to have no special significance but are completely decorative in intent. [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 # 49, pp. 136, 153-154.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 12.5, Length = 27.5 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2428 |  |
| 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 | “Tunic ornament. The square design is worked in brown on a beige background. The center motif is a small dove framed by a square composed of eight circles, each with a filler motif of an equal-armed cross. Around the edge is a spiral-wave border. The foundation is linen tabby, 12 x 12 [warp : weft per square cm]. The wool and linen tapestry ornament was woven on paired warps, 9 x 60 [warp : weft per square cm]. The square ornament was either made separately or cut from another, possibly worn-out, garment. The edges are turned under and the piece neatly whip-stitched to the linen tabby foundation. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: Doves, in Early Christian art, symbolize the Holy Ghost and also, because of the dove in the Noah story, deliverance from danger. This piece is a straightforward example of a Coptic textile with a Christian motif. 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 # 18, pp. 102, 104.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 9.5, Length = 19.5 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2429 |  |
| 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. 500-600 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Composite textile fragment. The foundation textile is red brown (sic) and ornamented with a large roundel flanked by two smaller ones, medium red in color, one containing a Greek cross in a circle, the other an eight-petaled rosette, both worked in dark yellow. The large roundel has a yellow ground and originally may have contained the motif of a peacock with outspread tail. The circle was cut out of the center of this roundel, leaving a yellow band and the ‘eyes’ of the peacock’s tailfeathers (sic). The band encloses two figures wearing halos worked in white, black, light green, and yellow on a pink ground. The weave is linen and wool tapestry on linen warp, some of it dyed, 9 x 32 [warp : weft per square cm]. This textile is actually made up of parts from two or three textiles trimed (sic) to shape and pasted together. The warp of the figured portion runs at right angles to the warp of the foundation textile and is of a different color. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century (?) (sic). Remarks: At first glance this pastiche appears to show a depiction of Christ and a disciple. The piece is a model example of the pitfalls that await collections who fail to inspect textile specimens through a magnifying glass, examining both sides and paying special attention to repairs that may disguise the addition of unrelated material. [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 # 38, pp. 116, 132-133.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 12.5, Length = 21.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2430 |  |
| 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. 500-600 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Square tunic ornament. The reddish brown ornamentation has a tan ground. The design is organized as a circle contained in a square, the corners filled with simple plant motifs. In the center is a wide-eyed running warrior carrying a shield. The foundation is linen tabby, 15 x 15 [warp : weft per square cm]; the decoration is wool and linen tapestry on grouped linen warps, 10 x 52 [warp : weft per square cm]. The square ornament was cut from another garment, the edges turned under and whip-stitched to the tabby foundation. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Remarks: This piece may have been cut from a larger textile ornament with a number of figures contained in a rinceau. The drawing is too sketchy to be certain, but the warrior appears to be nude, hence, a warrior of the spirit rather than of the flesh. His antagonist may have occupied an adjacent compartment in the rinceau. [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 # 27, pp. 116-117.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 9.0, Length = 9.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2431 |  |
| 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 | “Tunic fragment with insert roundel. The roundel has a border of triangles and contains the motif of a lion cub along with leafy-spray filler motif. The design elements were worked in purple on an ecru ground. The ground is linen in a near-tabby weave, 22 x 19 [warp : weft per square cm]. The insert is wool and linen tapestry with weft float details. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: As mentioned in the remarks for Number 14 [CAS 0389-2586], single lion motifs may have a protective purpose. 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 # 22, pp. 102, 111.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 14.0, Length = 14.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2434 |  |
| 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 | “Square tunic ornament. What little remains of the tunic has a dark yellow ground. The square ornament is dark blue with cream-colored motifs. It has a narrow, spiral-wave border and a center design of a small square containing a tiny Greek cross framed by a larger one in outline. Twelve squares fill the remainder of the space, each with a filler motif, hooked crosses alternating with a motif of a four-petaled rosette with symmetrical tendrils. The material is wool and the weave tapestry, 9 x 70 [warp : weft per square cm]. Single rows of twining accentuate some of the straight lines of the design, and the whole ornament is edged by a double row of twining. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: The dark yellow ground may signify that this was made during one of the periods after the Arab Conquest when Christians were expected to wear distinctive garments. The inconspicuous cross motif and the hooked cross, a disguised form of cross, indicate that the original owner was most probably a Christian. [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 # 66, pp. 136, 176-177; color plate, p. 144.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 14.0, Length = 14.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2435 |  |
| 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) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 800-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic fragment with roundel ornament. What remains of the tunic body is beige, while the ground of the ornament is dark yellow. The roundel carries a narrow border of rhomboids and a wider border with filler-motifs of paired dots. Within the inner circle is a formal arrangement of four birds, two chrysalises or locusts (cicadas), and two symmetrical floral motifs. In the center is a disk containing a stylized insect motif. The colors are blue-green, yellow, brown, and dull red. The roundel is a separate piece that was whip-stitched to the body of the tunic. The warp of the roundel lies at right angles to the warp direction of the tunic. Both parts are wool tapestry. The thread count of the body is 10 x 22 [warp : weft per square cm], of the ornament, 6 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Remarks: Insects were sometimes depicted on late antique gems. A personal or a family symbol may be represented on [this] textile. The unusual life cycle of some cicadas, called seventeen-year locusts, have made them symbols of longevity or immortality, an idea expressed in the myth of Tithonos. He wished for eternal life, but forgot to wish for lasting youth. Eventually he turned into a cicada and chirped on into eternity. In Plato’s beautiful little dialogue about love, the Phaedrus, Socrates tells about cicadas, how they live without nourishment and when their time to die arrives they are able to overcome death, becoming instead messengers and informers for the Muses. Jeweled effigies of cicadas were made in the early Medieval period, perhaps in reference to one of these concepts. [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 # 59, pp. 136, 166-167.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 12.5, Length = 18.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2436 |  |
| 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. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic clavus fragment. The clavus has borders of dark gray and green triangles. Repeated down the center is a symmetrical floral motif woven in tan, light green, dark gray, yellow, light orange, and dark blue on a pink ground. Most of the piece was woven in tapestry, wool and linen weft on grouped linen warps, 8 x 30 [warp : weft per square cm]. Fragments of the surrounding linen textile have a count of 12 x 18 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: The highly stylized floral motif may refer to one of the trees of paradise. Motifs of this nature are thought to have Persian or Near Eastern origins. [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 # 46, pp. 136, 150-151.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.0, Length = 17.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2451 |  |
| 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. 700-800 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “A pair of fragmentary sleeves with decorated inserts [CAS 0389-2451, 0389-2452]. The decorative motifs are worked in brown on a tan ground. The organization of the design of each sleeve forms a rectangle consisting of two bands with borders of reversed scallops. Each band is divided into two sections, each section containing depictions of a pair of worshippers (?) (sic) inside of an Ionic building with a decorated pediment. At least three of the pediments contain female busts, possibly of goddesses. A second pair of figures (spirits) floats vaporlike (sic) in the air above the roof. The peak of the roof is ornamented with a palmate acroterion. All of the full-length figures have one hand raised, and the ones at ground level are depicted with crossed legs. The technique is tapestry, woven entirely in wool, 10 x 28-34 [warp : weft per square cm]. The selvedges were woven with extra warps, for reinforcement. All yarn is S-twist. Eighth century or later. Related examples: Two similarly decorated textiles are in Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #6962 and 610 (Shurinova 1967, no. 137, 168). Remarks: There are several possible interpretations of the subject matter used to ornament these sleeves. Figures with crossed legs are fairly common in Coptic textiles: the position is believed to indicate the activity of dancing. A Gnostic text, the Acts of John, tells how the disciples under the direction of Jesus danced with him the night before his arrest (Pagels 1981:89). The purpose of this dance was to make the individual one with Christ. It is therefore probably that the representations of dancers, both male and female, referred to such a belief. In this example there is, in addition to the dancers, a sense of dualism conveyed by the many pairs of beings and buildings in the design. Manichaeanism, which in Egypt merged with Gnosticism in the later Coptic period, stressed dualism, and may have been the religion of the wearer for whom the garment was woven. [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 # 33A, pp. 116, 124, 126-127.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.8, Length = 30.2 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2452 |  |
| 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. 700-800 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “A pair of fragmentary sleeves with decorated inserts [CAS 0389-2451, 0389-2452]. The decorative motifs are worked in brown on a tan ground. The organization of the design of each sleeve forms a rectangle consisting of two bands with borders of reversed scallops. Each band is divided into two sections, each section containing depictions of a pair of worshippers (?) (sic) inside of an Ionic building with a decorated pediment. At least three of the pediments contain female busts, possibly of goddesses. A second pair of figures (spirits) floats vaporlike (sic) in the air above the roof. The peak of the roof is ornamented with a palmate acroterion. All of the full-length figures have one hand raised, and the ones at ground level are depicted with crossed legs. The technique is tapestry, woven entirely in wool, 10 x 28-34 [warp : weft per square cm]. The selvedges were woven with extra warps, for reinforcement. All yarn is S-twist. Eighth century or later. Related examples: Two similarly decorated textiles are in Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #6962 and 610 (Shurinova 1967, no. 137, 168). Remarks: There are several possible interpretations of the subject matter used to ornament these sleeves. Figures with crossed legs are fairly common in Coptic textiles: the position is believed to indicate the activity of dancing. A Gnostic text, the Acts of John, tells how the disciples under the direction of Jesus danced with him the night before his arrest (Pagels 1981:89). The purpose of this dance was to make the individual one with Christ. It is therefore probably that the representations of dancers, both male and female, referred to such a belief. In this example there is, in addition to the dancers, a sense of dualism conveyed by the many pairs of beings and buildings in the design. Manichaeanism, which in Egypt merged with Gnosticism in the later Coptic period, stressed dualism, and may have been the religion of the wearer for whom the garment was woven. [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 # 33B, pp. 116, 124, 127.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 26.5, Length = 25.8 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2453 |  |
| 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 | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [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 # 65A, pp. 136, 172, 175.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15.1, Length = 31.5 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2454 |  |
| 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 | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [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 # 65B, pp. 136, 172, 174; color plate, p. 143.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 35.8, Length = 47.2 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2457 |  |
| 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 | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [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 # 65C, pp. 136, 172, 175.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 26.4 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2539 |  |
| 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. 500-600 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic fragments, yoke and shoulder ornaments. The pieces are extremely discolored. The original color scheme was undoubtedly white with purple figures accented in red. The purple has now turned dark brown. From the remains it can be determined that the tunic had a deep yoke with several horizontal bands. The principal band holds an arcade, really a series of aediculae, each occupied by a dancer, nude except for a floating scarf worn over the shoulders. Two bands above this contain lozenges, the band below it, a chain of trefoils. On either side of the yoke were clavi of which but one now remains. These contained two sizes of linked cartouches, the larger enclosing dancers similar to those in the yoke arcade, the smaller, busts. A second fragment of the same tunic has the remains of a square that may be from the shoulder area. It bears a geometric pattern of lozenges. The technique used is tapestry in wool and linen on paired linen warps. Open slits in the uppermost yoke band enhance the decorative effect of the ornamentation. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Related example: Paris, Louvre inv. 4307 (Du Bourguet 1964, no. C 32). Remarks: Nude dancers as decorative motifs area a common feature in Coptic textiles, persisting even after the Muslim conquest. Nudity symbolizes spiritual purity when it appears in a religious context as may be the case here, indicated by the placement of the figures in an architectural context that suggests a side aisle of a church nave. [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 # 31, pp. 116, 120-123.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 39.7, Length = 46.6 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2579 |  |
| 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 | “Belt (?) (sic) fragment. The design is organized as a continuous band with spiral-wave borders. The center is divided into alternate squares and rectangles, each containing an amoeba-like motif ornamented with X and O figures. Colors are yellow, red, medium green, and dark gray. The textile is a narrow tapestry weave with edge selvedges, one strongly reinforced with extra warp threads. The textile is made of wool and linen weft on linen warp, 9 x 39 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: This piece would have been equally useful as a belt or as garment trimming. The one heavily reinforced edge would make the band suitable for edging a tunic neck. The design is, perhaps, derived from a floral motif of the type decorating the previous specimen [CAS 0389-2436], but considerably debased. [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 # 47, pp. 136, 150-151.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 6.2, Length = 20.2 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2580 |  |
| 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 | “Two fragments of a tunic clavus [CAS 0389-2580, 0389-2581]. The clavus decoration consists of rectangles with groups of dancers alternating with rectangles containing an elaborate, symmetrical flowering tree. The dancers are worked in beige, dark brown, tan, green, pink, and light blue on a medium red ground. The tree is worked in the same colors but on a tan ground. Both rectangles have dark blue borders edged with spiral waves for the dancers’ panels, ornamented with linked cartouches for the tree panels. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen weft on linen warp, 8 x 64 [warp : weft per square cm]. The clavus appears to have been assembled by cutting a banded, tapestry-woven textile into rectangles and sewing sections from different bands together to provide ornamentation for a tunic. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Related example: Baginski and Tidhar 1980:141, no. 214. Remarks: The dumpy little figures are barely recognizable as human forms. Their drawing contrasts greatly with that of the elaborate, symmetrical plants associated with them. At work here is the turning away from Classical canons that started around the time of the Arab conquest as a reaction against nearly everything Byzantine. [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 # 60B, pp. 136, 168-169.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.9, Length = 17.9 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2581 |  |
| 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 | “Two fragments of a tunic clavus [CAS 0389-2580, 0389-2581]. The clavus decoration consists of rectangles with groups of dancers alternating with rectangles containing an elaborate, symmetrical flowering tree. The dancers are worked in beige, dark brown, tan, green, pink, and light blue on a medium red ground. The tree is worked in the same colors but on a tan ground. Both rectangles have dark blue borders edged with spiral waves for the dancers’ panels, ornamented with linked cartouches for the tree panels. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen weft on linen warp, 8 x 64 [warp : weft per square cm]. The clavus appears to have been assembled by cutting a banded, tapestry-woven textile into rectangles and sewing sections from different bands together to provide ornamentation for a tunic. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Related example: Baginski and Tidhar 1980:141, no. 214. Remarks: The dumpy little figures are barely recognizable as human forms. Their drawing contrasts greatly with that of the elaborate, symmetrical plants associated with them. At work here is the turning away from Classical canons that started around the time of the Arab conquest as a reaction against nearly everything Byzantine. [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 # 60A, pp. 136, 168-169, 184.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 6.6, Length = 26.5 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2582 |  |
| 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. 1000-1200 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Mantle or coverlet fragment. The design is organized into bands, decorated ones interspersed with plain ones. Two bands contain quatrefoils with leaf motifs filling the triangular spaces between the quatrefoils. The third band is half as wide as the other two and is decorated with triangles and leaves. It is in fact a repeat of half the design of the other two bands divided down the center. Tapestry, woven entirely in wool, 9 x 22 [warp : weft per square cm]. One edge is corded. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh or twelfth century. Remarks: This piece may be Islamic in origin, though not too different, technically, from Coptic work. [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 # 71, pp. 136, 182-183.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.8, Length = 89.1 | |
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