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| 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 0389-2599 |  |
| 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 | “Tunic fragment with shoulder ornament. The ground is dark yellow. At one edge of the fragment is a segment of a plain, dark red clavus. The ornament, a roundel, has a dark brown spiral-wave border and contains the figures of two dancers, wearing only scarves, each with one upraised hand. They are worked in brown and dull orange. Woven entirely of wool, the ground thread count is 8 x 26 [warp : weft per square cm], the tapestry insert 7 x 46-50 [warp : weft per square cm]. Like the preceding example [CAS 0389-2422], the roundel was woven as a circle in a nearly invisible lentoid. The tips of the lentoid are tapestry, woven with the same yarn as the main ground of the tunic. On the reverse, the remains of weft floats indicate that the weft shots of the ground passed behind the tapestry portion of the textile and were completed before the ground was filled in around it. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: For the possible symbolism of the dancers see the remarks for Number 33 [CAS 0389-2451]. [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 # 57, pp. 136, 164.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 16.2, Length = 18.2 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2457 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 65C, pp. 136, 172, 175.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 18.5, Length = 26.4 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2434 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Square tunic ornament. What little remains of the tunic has a dark yellow ground. The square ornament is dark blue with cream-colored motifs. It has a narrow, spiral-wave border and a center design of a small square containing a tiny Greek cross framed by a larger one in outline. Twelve squares fill the remainder of the space, each with a filler motif, hooked crosses alternating with a motif of a four-petaled rosette with symmetrical tendrils. The material is wool and the weave tapestry, 9 x 70 [warp : weft per square cm]. Single rows of twining accentuate some of the straight lines of the design, and the whole ornament is edged by a double row of twining. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: The dark yellow ground may signify that this was made during one of the periods after the Arab Conquest when Christians were expected to wear distinctive garments. The inconspicuous cross motif and the hooked cross, a disguised form of cross, indicate that the original owner was most probably a Christian. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 66, pp. 136, 176-177; color plate, p. 144.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 14.0, Length = 14.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2435 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Bawit (Baweet) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 800-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic fragment with roundel ornament. What remains of the tunic body is beige, while the ground of the ornament is dark yellow. The roundel carries a narrow border of rhomboids and a wider border with filler-motifs of paired dots. Within the inner circle is a formal arrangement of four birds, two chrysalises or locusts (cicadas), and two symmetrical floral motifs. In the center is a disk containing a stylized insect motif. The colors are blue-green, yellow, brown, and dull red. The roundel is a separate piece that was whip-stitched to the body of the tunic. The warp of the roundel lies at right angles to the warp direction of the tunic. Both parts are wool tapestry. The thread count of the body is 10 x 22 [warp : weft per square cm], of the ornament, 6 x 48 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Ninth or tenth century. Remarks: Insects were sometimes depicted on late antique gems. A personal or a family symbol may be represented on [this] textile. The unusual life cycle of some cicadas, called seventeen-year locusts, have made them symbols of longevity or immortality, an idea expressed in the myth of Tithonos. He wished for eternal life, but forgot to wish for lasting youth. Eventually he turned into a cicada and chirped on into eternity. In Plato’s beautiful little dialogue about love, the Phaedrus, Socrates tells about cicadas, how they live without nourishment and when their time to die arrives they are able to overcome death, becoming instead messengers and informers for the Muses. Jeweled effigies of cicadas were made in the early Medieval period, perhaps in reference to one of these concepts. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 59, pp. 136, 166-167.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 12.5, Length = 18.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2436 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Assuit | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic clavus fragment. The clavus has borders of dark gray and green triangles. Repeated down the center is a symmetrical floral motif woven in tan, light green, dark gray, yellow, light orange, and dark blue on a pink ground. Most of the piece was woven in tapestry, wool and linen weft on grouped linen warps, 8 x 30 [warp : weft per square cm]. Fragments of the surrounding linen textile have a count of 12 x 18 [warp : weft per square cm]. All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: The highly stylized floral motif may refer to one of the trees of paradise. Motifs of this nature are thought to have Persian or Near Eastern origins. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 46, pp. 136, 150-151.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 5.0, Length = 17.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2451 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 700-800 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “A pair of fragmentary sleeves with decorated inserts [CAS 0389-2451, 0389-2452]. The decorative motifs are worked in brown on a tan ground. The organization of the design of each sleeve forms a rectangle consisting of two bands with borders of reversed scallops. Each band is divided into two sections, each section containing depictions of a pair of worshippers (?) (sic) inside of an Ionic building with a decorated pediment. At least three of the pediments contain female busts, possibly of goddesses. A second pair of figures (spirits) floats vaporlike (sic) in the air above the roof. The peak of the roof is ornamented with a palmate acroterion. All of the full-length figures have one hand raised, and the ones at ground level are depicted with crossed legs. The technique is tapestry, woven entirely in wool, 10 x 28-34 [warp : weft per square cm]. The selvedges were woven with extra warps, for reinforcement. All yarn is S-twist. Eighth century or later. Related examples: Two similarly decorated textiles are in Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #6962 and 610 (Shurinova 1967, no. 137, 168). Remarks: There are several possible interpretations of the subject matter used to ornament these sleeves. Figures with crossed legs are fairly common in Coptic textiles: the position is believed to indicate the activity of dancing. A Gnostic text, the Acts of John, tells how the disciples under the direction of Jesus danced with him the night before his arrest (Pagels 1981:89). The purpose of this dance was to make the individual one with Christ. It is therefore probably that the representations of dancers, both male and female, referred to such a belief. In this example there is, in addition to the dancers, a sense of dualism conveyed by the many pairs of beings and buildings in the design. Manichaeanism, which in Egypt merged with Gnosticism in the later Coptic period, stressed dualism, and may have been the religion of the wearer for whom the garment was woven. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 27-40 (CAS 0389-2378, -2380, -2385, -2386, -2388, -2400, -2404, -2412, -2429, -2430, -2433, -2451, -2452, -2539, -2584, -2585):] By the sixth century two basic types of textile ornaments were used to decorate garments. One, which was in use before the fourth century, was essentially monochrome. Designs in the monochrome class were both non-representational and figurative - the latter included a wide range of subject matter: plant, animal, human, and mythological. The second type is polychrome. Polychrome textiles had been made earlier, but not for use as garments. Extant examples are thought to have been decorative hangings, woven pictures as it were, that are commonly called tapestries. The use of what are essentially miniature tapestries for embellishing clothing is believed to have begun in the sixth century and to have lasted well into the Muslim period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 33A, pp. 116, 124, 126-127.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 22.8, Length = 30.2 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2452 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 700-800 CE, probably | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “A pair of fragmentary sleeves with decorated inserts [CAS 0389-2451, 0389-2452]. The decorative motifs are worked in brown on a tan ground. The organization of the design of each sleeve forms a rectangle consisting of two bands with borders of reversed scallops. Each band is divided into two sections, each section containing depictions of a pair of worshippers (?) (sic) inside of an Ionic building with a decorated pediment. At least three of the pediments contain female busts, possibly of goddesses. A second pair of figures (spirits) floats vaporlike (sic) in the air above the roof. The peak of the roof is ornamented with a palmate acroterion. All of the full-length figures have one hand raised, and the ones at ground level are depicted with crossed legs. The technique is tapestry, woven entirely in wool, 10 x 28-34 [warp : weft per square cm]. The selvedges were woven with extra warps, for reinforcement. All yarn is S-twist. Eighth century or later. Related examples: Two similarly decorated textiles are in Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #6962 and 610 (Shurinova 1967, no. 137, 168). Remarks: There are several possible interpretations of the subject matter used to ornament these sleeves. Figures with crossed legs are fairly common in Coptic textiles: the position is believed to indicate the activity of dancing. A Gnostic text, the Acts of John, tells how the disciples under the direction of Jesus danced with him the night before his arrest (Pagels 1981:89). The purpose of this dance was to make the individual one with Christ. It is therefore probably that the representations of dancers, both male and female, referred to such a belief. In this example there is, in addition to the dancers, a sense of dualism conveyed by the many pairs of beings and buildings in the design. Manichaeanism, which in Egypt merged with Gnosticism in the later Coptic period, stressed dualism, and may have been the religion of the wearer for whom the garment was woven. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 27-40 (CAS 0389-2378, -2380, -2385, -2386, -2388, -2400, -2404, -2412, -2429, -2430, -2433, -2451, -2452, -2539, -2584, -2585):] By the sixth century two basic types of textile ornaments were used to decorate garments. One, which was in use before the fourth century, was essentially monochrome. Designs in the monochrome class were both non-representational and figurative - the latter included a wide range of subject matter: plant, animal, human, and mythological. The second type is polychrome. Polychrome textiles had been made earlier, but not for use as garments. Extant examples are thought to have been decorative hangings, woven pictures as it were, that are commonly called tapestries. The use of what are essentially miniature tapestries for embellishing clothing is believed to have begun in the sixth century and to have lasted well into the Muslim period.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 33B, pp. 116, 124, 127.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 26.5, Length = 25.8 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2453 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 65A, pp. 136, 172, 175.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 15.1, Length = 31.5 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2454 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 900-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Three fragments of a tunic [CAS 0389-2453, 0389-2454, 0389-2457]. Originally the tunic had clavus bands that ran from the shoulders to the hem. At the neckline a matching band connected the clavus bands, and the usual double bands decorated the wrist area of the sleeves. All the bands are bordered by narrower bands containing lozenges and are filled with multicolored squares, each containing a fanciful, vaguely zoomorphic figure. In addition, the neck band is embellished with a row of pendant motifs. The fragments all have a discolored cream ground with decorative motifs in red, dark yellow, dark blue, and red-purple. The material is wool, and the whole tunic was woven in tapestry, 7 x 28 [warp : weft per square cm], with a few minor design details added in embroidery, worked with long stitches on the reverse side. The unused warp of the sleeve was formed into a corded edge (for a diagram illustrating the technique see Start [1914:9, fig. 6]). All yarn is S-twist. Tenth century. Remarks: Possibly made for a Muslim Copt, the designs appear to avoid resemblances (sic) to living creatures and yet to give the illusion of an ordinary Coptic tunic with figured ornament. A number of native Egyptians converted to the Muslim faith, in part for the economic advantages it offered; members of the Christian faith were heavily taxed. [Regarding textiles in this group, DL Carroll # 41-72 (CAS 0389-2382, -2384, -2389, -2390, -2391, -2392, -2393, -2396, -2399, -2401, -2405, -2409, -2410, -2411, -2414, -2415, -2416, -2417, -2419, -2420, -2422, -2423, -2424, -2427, -2434, -2435, -2436, -2453, -2454, -2457, -2579, -2580, -2581, -2582, -2599):] After the Arab conquest in the mid-seventh century, Coptic textile design changed its character, moving ever more distant from its classical Roman and Greek sources. In part, this was a reaction against Byzantine culture, associated in the Coptic mind with oppression. Contributing to the change may have been Islamic prohibitions against depicting human and animal figures. Such figures when they appear in Coptic textiles of the later periods become increasingly abstract to the point of being virtually unrecognizable.†[From Looms and Textiles of the Copts by Diane Lee Carroll (San Francisco, CA: Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 11, 1988); Catalog # 65B, pp. 136, 172, 174; color plate, p. 143.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 35.8, Length = 47.2 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2375 |  |
| 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 | “Piece cut from a woman’s mantle or veil. This piece is decorated with four dark purple squares symmetrically arranged on a plain, light tan ground. The squares are patterned with geometric designs worked in tan. The ground is linen rep, 26 x 20 [warp : weft per square cm], the tapestry squares are wool on linen warp. The yarn is fine and so densely packed that the thread count cannot be determined. The weft-float patterning of the surface was worked in two gauges of linen yarn. The rep ground has fringed edges and decorative ridges made from groups of bundled weft yarns placed at intervals. The sequence is as follows, from one preserved edge to the other: fringe, 2 cm, plain weave, 2 cm. In the center of this latter is a ridge composed of four shots of bundled wefts. Next is 2 cm of bare warp followed by 1 cm of plain weave. Last there is a group of ridges about 2 cm wide containing three smaller groups, each formed from three shots of bundled weft. After this is 59 cm of plain weave, and then the edge treatment is repeated in reverse, ending with fringe. The other two edges have been cut with shears, most certainly in recent times. The tapestry squares are approximately 13 x 13 cm and are placed in the corners of an imaginary square 48 cm on a side. Their decoration was precisely worked in two gauges of natural-color linen yarn. They originally were part of [an older] linen textile that was slightly coarser than the one they now decorate. The cut edges were neatly turned under and the square whip-stitched in place. At some point in this operation the cloth behind the squares was trimmed away. All yarn is S-twist. Late fourth or early fifth century. Remarks: Fringed veils sparsely ornamented with colored squares are worn by the female martyrs shown in procession on the upper left side of the nave of Sant’Appollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy; this depiction lends support to the identification of [this] fragment as part of a woman’s garment (Paolucci 1978:58). 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 # 9, pp. 82, 94-95.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 68.0, Length = 70.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2376 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 400-500 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Rectangle cut from a mantle (?) (sic). The principal motif is a star, dark purple on a plain ground, originally white but now discolored. The eight-pointed star was constructed from two overlapping squares. The top square has a cable border and a center roundel containing an intricate knot pattern delineated in linen thread. The corners contain ivy leaves and tendrils worked in two colors of yarn, saffron and cream. The colors were woven in separate shots, two saffron, one cream, and repeat (sic). The small roundel in the center was worked in the same way and in the same colors. Only the corners of the bottom square are visible - they contain vine leaves. From one of these depends, or extends, a rinceau band with a vase motif at the end. The ground is linen rep, 18-26 x 9 [warp : weft per square cm]; the motif is tapestry, wool and linen weft on grouped linen warps, 5 x 36 [warp : weft per square cm]. The surface of the tapestry motif is ornamented in weft-float patterning carried out in two gauges of linen yarn. The piece retains one selvedge, most probably the right-hand one. The sequence of weaving appears to have been as follows: (1) An area of rep was woven up to the bottom of the main motif. (2) Warps to be used for the tapestry portions were selected and a second set of heddles put in place. In doing this, the selected warps were doubled or tripled, in no obvious sequence, and the unneeded warps left to float at the back. (3) Woven next were a few centimeters of tapestry, complete with weft-float ornament. (4) Concurrent with the weaving of the tapestry, a corresponding number of centimeters of rep were woven, filling the space on either side of the tapestry insert. The shots for the rep cross the warp in a straight line and pass under the tapestry insert and behind the unused warps. A number of these are still extant; others appear to have been cut away. Small, irregular spaces around the tapestry inserts are filled in with tapestry worked in the same linen yarn used for the rep portions of the piece in order to make these filler areas less conspicuous. (5) Steps 3 and 4 were repeated until the tapestry insert was completed. After the shape of the insert was established, the weaver appears to have woven the tapestry in sections in order to define the inner forms of the design; for example, the two lower corners of the square section were worked slightly ahead of the center roundel, building up an arc into which the center roundel fits. This helps retain the symmetry of the roundel, always in danger of becoming an oval under the downward action of the beater as the weft is compressed. The use of grouped linen warps for the tapestry portions of a two-fiber textile are clearly visible in [this specimen] where the wool weft has disintegrated. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre AC 181 (Du Bourguet 1964) and Moscow, Pushkin Museum inv. #320 (Shurinova 1967:54). Remarks: A star motif of identical form decorates the mantle of the principal court lady of the empress Theodora shown in the sixth-century apse mosaic of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. [This] textile may have been part of a similar, though earlier, woman’s mantle. Note the protective interlace in the middle, here relegated to a relatively minor part of the design, The ivy leaves are a Classical motif that refers sometimes to the god Dionysus and his maenad followers, and sometimes to his follower, Orpheus, around whom an important cult developed in the late Roman period. Orphism is related to Pythagoreanism, which holds that numbers and geometric constructions have esoteric meanings and powers. Some late Roman or Coptic geometric ornaments may have been inspired by Pythagorean 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 # 8, pp. 82, 92-93.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 33.0, Length = 54.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2377 |  |
| 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. 300-350 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tapestry insert cut from a linen textile. The design is a dark, purple-tinged brown, eight-pointed star composed of two separate, never-ending knots, interlaced together. The bands of the interlace are double; one half is plain, the other filled with a spiral-wave design. The square and triangular spaces not covered by the bands are filled with trefoils; the octagon in the middle is filled with an allover (sic) design of lozenges. What little remains of the ground is cream-colored and the patterning is tan. The insert is made from wool and linen wefts woven on grouped linen warp, 6 x 58 [warp : weft per square cm], with weft-float patterning in two sizes of linen yarn. Originally part of a large (?) (sic) linen textile, now all that remains is this tapestry insert. It was woven in segments, horizontal and vertical bars and triangles. The outlines of these forms correspond to the lines of the interlace and its filler motifs. Slits were whip-stitched closed with linen yarn, an application that is at once practical and decorative. The wool yarn may have been purple originally. Color changes indicate that at least two different dye lots of yarn were used. These changes also testify to the section-by-section method of weaving described. All yarn is S-twist. First half of the fourth century. Related examples: Paris, Louvre AC 150 (Du Bourguet 1964, no. A 11) and Washington D.C. (sic), Textile Museum 71.104 (Trilling 1982, no. 82). Remarks: A patch pasted on the back in recent times could be a scrap of the original linen that surrounded the insert. The intact textile may have been an altar cloth. The southern lunette of the sanctuary of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy contains a mosaic depicting the sacrifices of Abel and Melchizedek (Grabar 1966:156). The cloth on their alter is ornamented with an eight-pointed star very similar in form to [this] specimen. Complex interlace patterns are almost universally believed to have protective powers, guarding against the evil eye. The tendency when looking at such a pattern is to trace the path of the interlace visually, thus keeping the eye moving. (It was a fixed stare that was considered dangerous.) Some ancient beliefs held that even sacred things needed protection from the evil eye. 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 # 4, pp. 82, 86-87.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 28.0, Length = 30.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2378 |  |
| 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. 500-535 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a decorated textile. The framework of the design is a simple rinceau. In the roundels formed by the stems are a kneeling man, a basket, and a large-eyed hound wearing a broad collar. Vine and figures are purple with touches of yellow, and the basket is red, yellow, and green. The background is cream. What remains of the textile is tapestry weave, wool and linen wefts on paired linen warps, 7 x 14 [warp : weft per square cm]. The weft shots follow the curves of the design rather than crossing in straight lines. The warps are strictly divided, two by two. All yarn is S-twist. Early sixth century. Remarks: Like Number 28 [CAS 0389-2385], this fragment may have been a part of a square cushion ornament. For the symbolism of the dog wearing a collar see remarks [for CAS 0389-2433]. [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 # 30, pp. 116, 120-121.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 8.0, Length = 27.0 |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2379 |  |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Coptic textile fragment | |
| Culture | Coptic Egyptian | |
| Global Region | North Africa | |
| Country | Egypt | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | Antinoöpolis (Shaikh Abada aka El Sheik Abara) | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 400-500 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Tunic fragment. The design areas on this fragment are a rectangular motif from the shoulder portion of the tunic and a part of one clavus. The rectangle has a spiral-wave border. Inside is an oval framing an armed man, perhaps a gladiator. The clavus is decorated with a well-formed stylized grapevine with leaves and grape clusters. Level with the shoulder motif is a small, equal-armed, dark purple cross with dots in the angles. A second cross, this one light on dark (sic) appears in a small rectangle at one end of the clavus. The design was executed in linen and wool yarns. The latter is now dark purple tinged with brown, but the color may have been brighter originally. The ground is natural linen rep, 20 x 13 [warp : weft per square cm]. The clavus and the shoulder rectangle are tapestry, woven on grouped warps in wool and linen yarns. The rep ground has shadow weft stripes formed of bundles of weft. The shots forming the stripes occur in pairs or in groups of three. Tapestry ornaments have curved wefts that follow the lines of the design. Small details were picked out in linen yarn worked as erratic weft floats while weaving was in progress. All yarn is S-twist. Fifth century. Remarks: While the decorative motifs on this fragment are Classical in origin, the crosses may indicate that the original owner of the tunic was a Christian or someone who believed that the cross served as a protective device. The fully dressed and armed warrior is set to fight mortal dangers, not spiritual ones, yet may also have a protective intent. The size of the decorative elements indicates that the tunic was a small one, no doubt intended for a child. 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 # 20, pp. 29, 102, 108-109.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 13.0, Length = 34.0 | |
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0389-2380 |  |
| 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. 500-600 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of an ecclesiastical tapestry from Bawit (?) (sic). The elements of the design were worked in two shades of dull yellow, a (sic) brick red, dull green, and indigo blue. What remains of the design is a portion of a decorated band framed by two narrower plain ones. In the center of the main is a strangely formed quadruped with hooves, large ears, and a long, thick tail. On the right is a jeweled cross with four birds in the angle formed on the upright and crossbar. On the left is an unoccupied jeweled throne, only partly preserved, with a bird above the remaining arm. Four small beasts with long ears and tails fill the remaining areas of the background. The fragment was woven in tapestry weave, entirely in wool, 9 x 20 [warp : weft per square cm]. It was carefully worked; the back of the piece appears nearly the same as the front, with no hanging threads and almost no weft floats. All yarn is S-twist. Sixth century. Related examples: Jeweled crosses with birds in the angles appear on textiles in London, Victoria and Albert Museum (Kendrick 1921: no. 313 pl. 5, no. 314 pl. 6). Remarks: The themes on this textile fragment are decidedly Christian in nature and are often found in Byzantine art. The empty throne symbolizes the preparation for the second coming of Christ. The jeweled cross signifies the Transfiguration of Christ. The beast may represent one of the Evangelists, Saint Luke, in his symbolic form of a bull. If so, the other three Evangelists were undoubtedly also present on the tapestry when it was complete. The theme of the vacant jeweled throne, the Hetoimasia, appears in the cupola mosaics of the Arian Baptistery in Ravenna, built in the last fifth century (Paolucci 1978:55). [This] tapestry is slightly later in date. Since it was woven with both sides nearly alike, the piece may have belonged to a church or baptistery door curtain. Bawit, where the piece is thought to have been found, is the site of a large and important monastery that grew and flourished for nearly a millennium. It was founded by a follower of Saint Pachomius the Great in the early fifth century. A large burial ground associated with it has been a rich source of textile remains. [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 # 37, pp. 116, 130-131; color plate, p. 73.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 19.0, Length = 12.0 | |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2381 |  |
| 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. 800-1000 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Wool | |
| Description | “Fragment of a tunic sleeve. The fragment has a dark yellow ground with figures and borders in dark brown. The design is a band with spiral-wave borders framing a row of figures. The figures that remain on the fragment are two warriors and, between them, a small lion. The ground line along which the lion runs is at a right angle to that of the warriors. The entire piece is woven in tapestry, wool weft on wool warp, 8 x 20-50 [warp : weft per square cm]. The weaving is fine and even and the reverse is unusually neat with short weft floats. All yarn is S-twist. A ninth- or tenth-century version of a sixth-century motif. Remarks: The yellow ground and certain features of the design indicate that the piece may have been made during a period of persecution after the Arab conquest when Coptic Egyptians were required to wear yellow garments, either during the time of Tulunid governors, 868-906 [CE], or the succeeding Ikhshidid dynasty, 935-969 [CE]. The piece is another member of the class of Coptic textiles discussed in the remarks for Number 16 [CAS 0389-2426]. 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 # 25, pp. 102, 114-115; color plate, p. 70.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 7.0, Length = 20.0 |
| Catalog Number | CAS 0389-2382 |  |
| 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. 1000-1100 CE | |
| Collection Name | Rietz Collection of Textiles | |
| Materials | Linen; Wool | |
| Description | “Decorated roundel from a tunic. The dark pink ground of this piece is slightly faded (the reverse is darker than the front). The design is worked in linen that has darkened with time and dirt. The main motif is a starlike (sic), linear floral interlace with a small, spirited lion occupying the center. Around the edge is a row of small crosses attached by their bases to the narrow band that encircles the roundel. The roundel is woven on two-ply Z-twist linen warp, with S-twist wool and linen weft, 11 x 76 [warp : weft per square cm]. The technique is tapestry, worked with curving wefts that follow the line of the design. There are long weft floats on the back. Like so many of the extant textiles, this roundel was cut from another, probably worn-out, garment and reused. The edges were turned under and the piece was attached to the new garment by rather long, judging from the spacing of the needle holes, running stitches. All yarn is S-twist. Eleventh century. Remarks: Lions, as mentioned previously [CAS 0389-2431], have protective attributes. [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 # 69, pp. 136, 180-181.] | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 11.0, Length = 11.0 |
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