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| 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 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2583 |  |
| 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. 400-535 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Pallium fragment. The fragment has a tan ground and a large, purplish black roundel. The roundel has a border of small circles separated by pairs of smaller circles. Its center is filled by regularly spaced clusters of nine dots each. The entire fragment is weft loop pile carried out in linen and wool, 20 x 11 [warp : weft per square cm], on a linen warp. Every fourth shot in the area of the motif is a weft bundle. Dyed wool threads added to the motif area form the colored pile. Every seventh and eighth shot is a weft bundle but only the eighth shot provides pile. The pile was formed by looping sections of the weft around a smooth rod. The size of the rod was determined by the depth of pile desired. The pile surface of [this specimen] is velvet-like in areas with wool weft, rougher, like bath-toweling (sic), in the all-linen portion. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth or early sixth century. Remarks: As mentioned [in other descriptions], white pallia with large purple medallions were worn by dignitaries of church and state in the fifth and sixth centuries. Wear marks on this example indicate that it may have been worn inside-out, perhaps after having been discarded by the original, distinguished owner, or used as a chair or couch cover. The technique for weaving a textile with a pile surface evolved in Dynastic Egypt. Riefstahl [1941 or 1944] cites an eleventh-dynasty example found at Deir el-Bahri (1944:17, fig. 19), which already shows a perfect grasp of the method. The technique is an important one for the region. See Bellinger (1956). 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 # 11, pp. 82, 96-97.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 59.0, Length = 55.1 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2584 |  |
| 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. 500-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Garment ornament. The form is a roundel. In the center is a representation of a mermaid holding a conch shell and being accompanied by a fish. The border is a stair-step jewel inlay design. The colors are light brown, cream, black, dark yellow, dull red, dull light green, and dull medium green. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on two-ply Z-twist linen warp. Sixth or seventh century. Remarks: Representations of mermaid have a long history in ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern art. As symbols of belief, their significance is not clear, especially in Christian contexts. The stair-step border design is not particularly suitable for a woven roundel and may be derived from another form of art entirely. Stair-step inlays occur in gold and garnet jewelry of the fifth and sixth centuries, a fact that suggests a metalwork source for the motif. [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 # 40, pp. 116, 134; color plate, p. 74.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 7.4, Length = 8.7 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2585 |  |
| 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. 570-635 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Garment ornament. The form is a roundel with a double border ornamented with a rope pattern. In the center is a half-length figure of a crowned, nimbate woman with dark, wavy hair and elaborate earrings. One hand, holding an object of uncertain identity, is upraised. Colors are tan, black, cream, dark yellow, dull red, and dull medium green. The piece is tapestry, wool and linen weft on linen warp. The latter is two-ply Z twist [the former S-twist]. The count is 11 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. Late sixth or early seventh century. Remarks: Women with halos are common in Coptic art. This example may represent Isis, or a Christian saint, perhaps Mary Magdalene, a popular figure for Copts because of her later life spent as a hermit. Coptic Christians consider living a life devoted to religious practices, apart and alone, to be particularly meritorious. [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 # 39, pp. 116, 132, 135.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 7.8, Length = 8.4 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2586 |  |
| 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. 400-435 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Garment ornament. The ornament is rendered in brown on a beige ground. It is square with a reverse scallop border around the edge. In the center is a small square with a lion motif. The space between the outer and inner square is filled with an elaborate lozenge pattern. The weaving was done in a normal tapestry technique with wool and linen wefts on paired linen warps, 9 x 52 [warp : weft per square cm]. Weft floats were used to indicate details. All yarn is S-twist. Early fifth century. Remarks: The piece was reused in antiquity, a common practice that illustrates the value placed on textile decoration. Lions have many symbolic meanings, some good, some evil. The Greek hero Herakles [Hercules] wore the pelt of the nearly invulnerable Nemean lion, a trophy he gained from the first of his 12 labors. The animal had a hide so tough it could only be killed by strangling; weapons could not penetrate it. The pelt of this lion became a symbol of the hero, who himself was sometimes given the surname ‘soter,’ which means savior. The depiction of a lion could thus refer to invulnerability, salvation, or both. Since the lion was also the symbol of Saint Mark, Evangelist and first patriarch of the church in Egypt, the motif of a lion could be worn by either a pagan or a Christian with perfect confidence in its efficacy. 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 # 14, pp. 82, 100-101.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.9, Length = 12.7 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2587 |  |
| 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. 400-535 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic ornament. An ovoid medallion forms the base for the ornament. In the center is a depiction of an eagle with outspread wings, dull purple on a tan ground. It is surrounded by a wide purple border. Within this is a narrower band with a net-pattern filler. The weave is tapestry, wool and linen wefts on paired linen warps, 9 x 22 [warp : weft per square cm]. Weft floats define details of the plumage and the intricate pattern of the border. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth or early sixth century. Related examples: A larger fragment with a similar medallion is in Washington D.C. (sic), Textile Museum 71.128 (Trilling 1982, no. 40). It includes a section of the clavus, decorated with a net pattern that matches the border of the medallion. Remarks: The eagle as a symbol has an important place in several religions. The Roman legions marched under a standard bearing the image of an eagle. For Christians, it is the symbol of Saint John the Evangelist. 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 # 26, pp. 102, 114-115.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 13.6, Length = 14.8 |
|
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 0389-2451 |  |
| 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 0389-2434 |  |
| 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 0389-2408A,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 0389-2433A,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 | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 500-635 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Two square garment ornaments. The ground is ecru and the design elements are purple with touches of crimson. In the center of each square is a smaller square of solid purple. This is bordered by an inhabited rinceau, the tendrils forming roundels. Each of these contains either a lion wearing a red collar or a hound with red ribbons streaming from its neck. Interstices are filled with small floral motifs. The ground is linen near-tabby, 25 x 22 [warp : weft per square cm], and the ornamentation is wool and linen tapestry woven on grouped linen warps, 10 x 80 [warp : weft per square cm]. From the reverse of the better-preserved square it can be seen that the tapestry section was woven on a limited number of the available warps, the unused ones left to float at the back of the tapestry portion. The tapestry was woven with weft that was separate from that of the tabby ground. The unwoven tabby weft was allowed to float behind the unused warp, making two layers of floats and one layer of tapestry, three layers in all. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth or early seventh century. Remarks: The streamers worn by the hounds reflect Persian influence. They are thought to indicate that the wearers possessed supernatural or other special attributes. Collars on animals - in this example, lions - have a different meaning; they represent control of the wilder aspects of animal nature. [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 # 29, pp. 116, 118-119.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.0, Length = 12.0 | |
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