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| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2383 | |
| 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. 470-535 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a textile ornament. The fragment retains a group of figures rendered in dark brown on a linen ground that is considerably discolored. The design is a roundel delineated by a plain, solid-color band enclosing a group of men and lions. The men are armed with large stones and small shields, and they wear short mantles. Each attacks a lion. The lion-man groups face in opposite directions and are set one above the other on a diagonal. What remains of the piece is tapestry on grouped linen warps, linen and wool weft 15 x 40 [warp : weft per square cm]. Curving wefts help to accentuate the design. A few small details appear to be embroidered. All yarn is S-twist. Late fifth or early sixth century. Related examples: The style and form of ornamentation on a child’s tunic in Brooklyn, acc. # 749 (Thompson 1971:44, no. 17) is quite similar to [this] fragment. Remarks: The appearance of the textile of which this is a fragment may be inferred from the Brooklyn child’s tunic. In the Brooklyn example, the roundel (really more nearly an oval) that contains the figures is set in a rectangle that is in turn framed with a rinceau. Battles between men and animals are thought to signify the struggle between the good and evil in human nature. The idea is an ancient one, retained in later times. 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 # 21, pp. 102, 110.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 7.0, Length = 10.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2384 |  |
| 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 | “Oval garment ornament. The ornament has a wide, outer border with dark pink ground and a linear rinceau worked in linen, now beige in color, but originally white. In a smaller oval in the center is a stylized flower in a wreath of multicolored leaves, dark pink, dull yellow, and two shades of green. The ground is beige. The weave is tapestry with linen warp, wool and linen weft, 9 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. The work is exceptionally fine with short weft floats on the back. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Multicolored leaves arranged in bands or garlands form a common motif in architectural mosaics. An early example appears in the mausoleum of Galla Placidia at Ravenna, Italy, built in the fifth century. [This] textile version is more rigid and is certainly later in date. [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 # 70, pp. 136, 180-181.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 9.0, Length = 12.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2385 |  |
| 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 | “Fragment of a tapestry square from a cushion (?) (sic). This fragment is part of a square motif with a wide, compound border enclosing five roundels, a small one in each corner, a large one in the center. The pattern is worked in purple, green, orange, and red on a cream-colored ground. The main part of the border contains a braid delineated in white on a purple ground. At the outer edge is an inverted arcade with a small roundel under each arch. What remains of the large central roundel indicates that it may have contained a representation of a centaur. The one extant corner roundel contains a male figure wearing a short cloak and apparently trampling grapes, represented by thirteen purple dots. Next to this corner roundel is a vase from which grows a grapevine. This piece was woven entirely in tapestry with wool and linen weft on wool warp, 11 x 40 [warp : weft per square cm]. Details and the pattern of the border were worked in weft floats. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Remarks: The 3.4 cm of surviving selvedge indicates that the piece may have been woven as a single unit that was then stitched to a larger textile. Similar specimens have been discovered attached to weft-loop-pile textiles intended to cover cushions. This piece belongs to a large group of polychrome textiles that retain design elements derived from Greek art but which have acquired Christian symbolism. Vintage scenes showing the crushing of the grapes to make wine can be understood as a symbol for the sacrifice of Jesus. An overflowing vase, here overflowing with grapevines, sometimes signifies one of the rivers of Paradise. When complete, the design may have included a total of four vases, one for each of the four rivers of Paradise. A centaur or a horseman is a symbol of good, controlling or attempting to control one’s baser instincts. Colorful as this piece is, it should be noted that the disposition of the colors is not at all realistic. Purple is the dominant color, used for the border, the rinceau, and the figures, while red, green, and orange enliven the minor details. [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 # 28, pp. 116-118, 194; color plate, cover page.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15., Length = 9.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2386 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Akhmîm (Panopolis) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 400-500 CE, possibly | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Silk; Linen | |
| Description | “Tunic shoulder-band pendant medallion from Akhmîm. Cream-colored warp, light green and cream-colored weft. Symmetrical floral design composed of small block-shaped units. The back of the textile shows the design in reverse. A silk, weft-faced drawloom twill, there is one main warp between two binder warps with three main warps to a pattern unit. The warp is single-ply Z-twist; the weft yarns appear to have no twist at all. The piece is heavily damaged and has been crudely and wrongly restored by pasting small pieces of linen cloth to the back. Its original form can be conjectured by the observation of related textiles in other collections. Edges of the piece have been folded under, indicating that it was appliquéd to a garment. Fifth century in style, but perhaps later in construction. Related examples: London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 798, 799 (Kendrick 1922); Textile Museum, Washington D.C. (sic), 721.10 (Bellinger 1950-52:15). Remarks: A linen garment with silk appliqués woven in a similar style is extant, London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 794 (sic) (Kendrick 1922). Drawloom textiles of the class to which [this] specimen belongs had a long life (see Grube 1962). The complexity of the weave was such that it discouraged creativity or even experimentation with modest variations, so once drafted, a pattern tended to remain unchanged for generations. Akhmîm is the modern name for the ancient city of Panopolis. It may have been a center for the production of drawloom silks. In the Early Christian period a large monastery was founded nearby, the White Monastery, which still stands and is used as a place of worship. [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 # 34, pp. 116, 125, 128.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.0, Length = 12.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2387 |  |
| 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 | “Fragment of a square tunic ornament. The brown pattern elements that decorate this fragment have a beige, originally white, ground. The motif is square, and it is bordered with small roundels, ‘pearls,’ seven on a side. A large roundel in the center contains a depiction of a running hound surrounded by leafy sprays. Most of what remains of this fragment was woven in tapestry on grouped linen warps, wool and linen weft, 6 x 24-48 [warp : weft per square cm], and rep, all linen, 16 x 14 [warp : weft per square cm]. Normal tapestry technique with weft shots curved to accentuate lines of design (sic). All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: The ‘pearl’ border of this piece is a common design feature of Persian silks. In Eastern art, jeweled frames imply that the subject so decorated is special in some way - magical or spiritual. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 17-26 (CAS 0389-2379, -2381, -2383, -2387, -2395, -2408A,B, -2418, -2428, -2431, -2587)] are reportedly from Shaikh Abada, or El Sheik Abara - the Arabic name for the site is transliterated variously. The ancient city was named Antinoöpolis after a beautiful Greek youth who drowned near there. It was founded in his memory by the emperor Hadrian around A.D. 13. A major weaving center in antiquity, some of its products have a classical flavor that may derive from Hadrian’s interest in early Greek art. The archaic style of Greece was revived during his reign. Later, in the Christian period, Antinoöpolis became the site of a famous monastery founded by Saint Samuel. While it is impossible to place total reliance on antique dealers’ attributions, the textiles in this group have similarities that make a common source believable. It is assumed that Rietz purchased them as a group, perhaps from a dealer in the vicinity.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 23, pp. 102, 112-113.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.0, Length = 10.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2388 |  |
| 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 decorative garment insert. The ground of the square is dark blue, with a border of red hooks. The center motif of four birds seated in a fanciful symmetrical plant, is worked in pink, green, and off-white. The weave is tapestry, wool warp, linen and wool weft, 14-16 x 27 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Related examples: Washington D.C. (sic), Textile Museum (Riefstahl 1941, no. 178). Remarks: Essentially, this is a tree-of-life motif in abbreviated form. The motif refers to a tree in the garden of Eden and also to the Tree, that is the cross, of the Crucifixion. (The connection between this cross and the tree of life is sometimes indicated by placing birds in the angles made by the cross arm, as can be seen in another textile in the Rietz Collection, Number 37 [CAS 0389-2380].) Different varieties of birds have particular meanings in Early Christian art. Doves, perhaps the smaller of the two [types of] birds depicted here, signify deliverance and the Holy Ghost. Peacocks, the two larger birds, are symbols of immortality. The tree-of-life motif is fairly common in Coptic textiles, usually rendered in a style related to that of Sassanian silks. [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 # 36, pp. 116, 130-131; color plate, p. 72.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 6.5, Length = 6.5 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2389 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Akhmîm (Panopolis) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 800-900 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic roundel from Akhmîm. The roundel has a wide, dark pink border decorated with an arcade, each arch containing a ‘pearl.’ In the center is a dark pink motif on a tan ground that may represent a man attacking a lion. There is one filler-motif, a small quatrefoil. Made of wool and linen weft on dyed linen warp, 7 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm], the roundel was woven in a normal tapestry technique. The dyed warps are of three different colors, dark blue, dark yellow, and light brown, regularly arranged. Since this has no visible effect so far as the tapestry roundel is concerned, it is probable that the garment ornamented by the roundel was woven in a pattern weave, for example, a three-rod twill, which would have made effective use of the three colors. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth century (?) (sic). Remarks: At present, the roundel is mounted on a linen textile, possibly ancient, but not related to it. For information about the site, see remarks for Number 34 [CAS 0389-2386]. [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 # 58, pp. 136, 166-167.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15.5, Length = 15.5 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2390 |  |
| 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 | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a tunic clavus. What remains is a multicolored band with double jewel inlay borders framing a variety of motifs: two nude dancers, a winged child, a winged dog, and a fragmentary motif that may represent the lower part of a standing, robed figure. On a dark pink ground, figures and border are worked in medium pink, black, light green, gray, beige, and dull yellow. The fragment is tapestry, woven in wool and linen weft, linen warp, 8 x 36 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Seventh century. Remarks: This clavus fragment is mounted on a linen cloth, perhaps ancient, but unrelated. Turned-under edges indicate that the piece was reused in antiquity. The theme of the motif could be Dionysian, the robed figure representing this god. [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 # 41, pp. 136-137.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 8.5, Length = 18.5 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2391 |  |
| 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, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic sleeve fragment. The dark yellow ground is decorated with bands and figures in dull purple and dark green. The design is organized as two identical bands, each with a single line of reverse arcade on the outermost edge. The filler motif, a fish nibbling the stem of a floating water plant, is repeated nine times on each band. The motifs are disposed in double rows on each band, forming two processions of fish swimming in opposite directions. The weave is tapestry with wool warp and weft, 10 x 78 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century (?) (sic). Related example: London, Victoria and Albert Museum (Kendrick 1920, no. 18 pl. 26; Baginski and Tidhar 1980:79, no. 97). Remarks: The fish and water plant motif was a common one in ancient Egyptian art and continued in use during the Coptic period, one of the few ancient motifs to be retained by Coptic artists. [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 # 52, pp. 136, 158-159; color plate, p. 141.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.0, Length = 15.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2392 |  |
| 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 | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a tunic sleeve. The sleeve is decorated with brown bands and figures on a cream-colored ground. The design is composed of two bands filled with figures and separated by a narrow band with a simple cable pattern. The outer border bands are edged with a reverse scallop, each point terminating with a vine leaf. (One border band is missing, but presumably it matched the other.) In the center of the figured bands are ovals, each containing the figure of a hare. Flanking the ovals are pairs of lozenges with vine scrolls at the corner, containing, respectively, a smaller lozenge with vine leaves, a pair of fish, a single fish, and a standing bird (a guineafowl? (sic)). The sleeve is tapestry, woven on paired warps with wool warp and weft, 16 x 24 [warp : weft per square cm]. There are many short slits left open. All yarn is S-twist. Eighth century. Remarks: The figured elements suggest a heraldic or zodiacal symbolism with possible significance to the original owner or the textile. [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 # 50, pp. 136, 154-155.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 27.0, Length = 15.5 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2393 |  |
| 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 | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a decorated textile. This multicolored square ornament is composed of geometric motifs. In the center is a circle framed by a square. In each corner a smaller circle is connected to the middle square by a short length of cable pattern. A band containing a braid connects the small roundels at top and bottom, a wider band with a species of twined pattern (sic) connects the roundels at the sides. The middle circle is filled with small geometric motifs, the outer circles by lozenges. The piece is tapestry weave with linen warp and wool and linen weft, 8 x 32 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh or twelfth century. Remarks: The design bears a resemblance to designs found on some early medieval jeweled book covers. [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 # 72, pp. 136, 182-183.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 13.0, Length = 12.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2394 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 370-435 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Square cut from a woman’s tunic. A formal, monochrome rinceau with filler-motifs, originally purple but now brown, decorates this piece. Three of its roundels contain symmetrical plants, three others animals. Two of the animals are hounds and one is a lion. The backgrounds of the animals are shaded; backgrounds of the plants, plain. Leaves, or possibly lotus pods, sprout from the vine stalks. The leaves of the small plants resemble vine leaves. The linen tabby ground, 16 x 16 [warp : weft per square cm], has tapestry inserts woven in wool on grouped linen warps, 9 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. The weaving reflects considerable skill - the threads are fine and placed with precision. All yarn is S-twist. Late fourth or early fifth century. Related example: An entire garment in Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #5823 (Shurinova 1967:5). Remarks: The piece could be a part of a garment resembling the tunic in the Pushkin Collection, cited above, which is ornamented with motifs nearly identical to those of [this] specimen. The Moscow tunic has been identified as a woman’s dress. From depictions in art it appears that the garments of women were more extensively decorated than those of men and were more likely to feature figured or floral motifs in their decorations. 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 # 13, pp. 82, 99.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 27.0, Length = 17.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2395 |  |
| 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 | “Square tunic ornament. The ground is tan, the ornament dull purple and cream. The design is based upon a square. This has a reversed arcade border and smaller square in its center with a cruciform-knot filler motif. The remainder of the basic square is filled with four gammulae, two of them decorated with filler motifs of disks and fish-form blobs, two with a pattern composed of cruciform rosettes. The technique is tapestry on grouped linen warps with wool and linen weft, 11 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. Some of the ornament is done in weft floats. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: The knot motif used on this piece may be a form of cross. The design organization is the same as that of the squares on Number 9 [CAS 0389-2375], but the filler motifs are much coarser. 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 # 17, pp. 102, 105.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.5, Length = 13.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2396 |  |
| 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 | “Section of a tunic neck band (?) (sic). The fragment is a polychrome band with one plain border and one jeweled border of rectangular ‘gems’ in plain settings. The design motifs are flower sprays and a nude female dancer with a narrow, green scarf draped over her left arm and a basket or cornucopia of flowers held in her raised right hand. The figure and the borders are worked in beige, light green, and black on a dark rose-red ground. The band is woven in tapestry on linen warp with wool and linen weft, 10 x 58 [warp : weft per square cm]. One border is worked in such a manner as to give a three-dimensional effect, accomplished by overpacking (sic) the weft, thus causing the surface to pucker. There is a double row of twining on one end. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Remarks: The piece was reused in antiquity. Nudity, as mentioned earlier [CAS 0389-2539], had connotations of purity. A tunic fragment in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum of Art acc. no. 38.753, is decorated with a nude woman dancing in an area defined by a representation of a chain supporting a jeweled cross (Thompson 1971:82-83). [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 # 54, pp. 136, 160.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.0, Length = 17.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2397 |  |
| 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. 270-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Square emblem cut from a pallium (?) (sic). The square has a red-purple ground with a pattern worked in white. The design consists of a border of stylized grape leaves surrounding a center block composed of four similar grape leaves. At the top and bottom of the square is a cable pattern that degenerates at the sides, becoming a sketchy design suggesting chicken scratches. The little that remains of the ground was woven in linen rep, 22 x 9 [warp : weft per square cm]. The background of the emblem was woven in tapestry, wool weft on grouped linen warps, 16 x 13 [warp : weft per square cm]. The details of the design were worked in a combination of embroidery and weft floats. The tapestry background of the emblem was woven in evenly placed straight shots; the weft-float surface pattern was worked over it as the background weaving progressed. All yarn is S-twist. Late third or early fourth century. Remarks: The pallium, as it is shown worn by ordinary men in Early Christian art, is commonly decorated with square purple emblems. Such emblems may have signified social position or office. The simple design of this specimen might have been intended to appeal to a follower of one of the more austere schools of philosophy. The textiles in this group [DL Carroll # 1-16 (CAS 0389-2375, -2376, -2377, -2394, -2397, -2398, -2402, -2403, -2406, -2407, -2413, -2421, -2425, -2426, -2583, -2586)] are the earliest in the collection and belong to the period dominated by Rome. A number of them represent types of garments that could have indicated social rank or would have been appropriate wear for persons with high positions in the extensive bureaucracy of the period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 1, pp. 82-84.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 18.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2398 |  |
| 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. 270-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Oval dress ornament. The ornament is an orbiculum with a linear pattern of diagonally-placed (sic) meander bands, delineated in tan on a red-purple ground. The motif was woven in the tapestry technique, in fine wool yarn on paired linen warps, 8 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. The surface patterning was created from weft floats of undyed linen thread. The ground motif was woven in sections that conform to the main lines of the surface patterning. All yarn is S-twist. Late third or early fourth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre (Du Bourguet 1964, no. A 23). Remarks: Tunics in Early Christian and Byzantine art were often decorated with matching sets of round, square, or oval motifs, one motif over each shoulder and two others placed in the region of the knees. It is possible that they were intended to guard the vital arm and knee joints from real or imagined dangers. The delicate, restrained linear decoration is typical of the period. 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 # 3, pp. 82, 84-85.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 16.5 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2399 |  |
| 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), probably | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Part of a coverlet or hanging from Bawit (?) (sic). The allover (sic) design is composed of plain band alternating with figured ones. The figured bands have compound borders consisting of a plain band and one occupied by trefoils linked by half-circles. Fabulous beings and symmetrical plant forms comprise the motifs of the figured bands. The ground is dark pink, and the dividing borders and figures are worked in dull red, beige, medium pink, blue-green, and black. The weave is tapestry, worked entirely in wool, 7 x 38 [warp : weft per square cm]. The warp has been dyed. All yarn is S-twist. Seventh century. Remarks: The fanciful nature of the figures, the trefoil borders, and the general organization of the design all recall the much earlier banded embroidered textile found in Noin Ula, which has Hellenistic elements in its design (Trever 1932, pl. 3, 7). For notes on the presumed find site of [this] textile see the remarks for Number 37 [CAS 0389-2380]. [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 # 43, pp. 45, 136, 147; color plate, p. 146.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15.0, Length = 26.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2400 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Assyūt (Assuit) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 600-700 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Two fragments of a tunic from Assyūt [CAS 0389-2400, 0389-2404]. One fragment is from the sleeve of the tunic and is ornamented with a polychrome design organized in bands on a beige ground. The lower two bands are decorated with a pink-and-green lozenge pattern with Greek crosses as filler motifs. These have yellow and green borders of spiral-wave design (sic). The upper band [CAS 0389-2400] contains two rows of dark blue and light green flying genii wearing derbylike (sic) hats and carrying large bowls in their outstretched arms. The other fragment [CAS 0389-2404] is from the yoke. This fragment contains three figured bands separated by rows of geometric motifs resembling spearheads and hooks in shades of yellow, green, and pink. The upper two figured bands contain pink and dark blue running hounds, each in a cartouche. The lower bands contain green creatures with long snouts, crocodiles (?) (sic). The technique of both pieces is tapestry, wool and linen [S-twist] weft on two-ply Z-twist linen warps. The thread count of the sleeve piece is 5 x 54 [warp : weft per square cm], of the yoke piece, 6 x 50 [warp : weft per square cm]. Portions of both side selvedges are preserved on the sleeve fragment. Seventh century. Remarks: Assyūt, the presumed provenance of this piece, may not have been its place of manufacture. The figure style of the textile places it in a class of textiles produced in a weaving center believed to have been located farther south, in Upper Egypt. [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 # 35A, pp. 116, 128-129.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.0, Length = 27.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2401 |  |
| 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. 1000-1100 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Section of a tunic sleeve. The sleeve has a plain beige ground with a rectangular red-purple insert. The insert is bordered top and bottom with a band of small crosses and is divided into three parts. An oval in the middle panel contains an equal-armed cross, a lesser oval with (sic) a small cross at the center. The arms of the main cross are decorated with a stylized vine with leaves, grape clusters, and tendrils. The side panels are divided down the center by a band of small crosses and are filled with motifs that vaguely suggest crosses and anchors. The piece is wool, tapestry weave with different thread counts in the ground and ornament, [respectively] 12 x 32 [warp : weft per square cm] and 11 x 64 [warp : weft per square cm]. There are some embroidered details. Three selvedges are preserved. The side selvedges were woven over two warp bundles to make a firm edge. The upper selvedge was finished by twisting unused warp ends in such a way as to form a corded edge. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh century. Remarks: The somewhat obscure nature of the Christian symbols may have been a response to a ruling that required Christians to signify their religion by their dress combined with a desire on the part of the wearer to make such indicators as inconspicuous as possible. [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 # 67, pp. 136, 176, 179; color plate, p. 145.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 25.0, Length = 28.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2402 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 300-335 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Section cut from a tunic sleeve. The tan ground, originally white, bears two bands decorated with dark purple, double-scroll motifs alternating with small roundels. Each roundel is ornamented with a small rosette. The ground is linen rep, 24 x 15 [warp : weft per square cm], the inserts wool tapestry, 10 x 26 [warp : weft per square cm], with weft-floated ornament. Both right and left selvedges are preserved. The weaving of the ornamental motifs appears to have started at the left, and each motif was completed before the next one was started. Above the decorated bands is a shadow band composed of four shots of bundled wefts. The method of inserting weft floats can be clearly seen on the reverse side. All yarn is S-twist. Early fourth century. Remarks: White tunics with plain or simply ornamented, double purple sleeve bands occur frequently in Early Christian art. Usually the tunics also carried matching bands descending vertically from the shoulders on both the front and the back. Like the [textile CAS 0389-2397], the modest design might have been considered suitable for a person of philosophical bent. 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 # 2, pp. 1, 82, 84-85; color plate, p. 67.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 20.0, Length = 33.0 | |
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