Fragment with Two Vines
4th-6th century
Description
Two inwoven tapestry woven bands run across this textile. The bands take the form of thick undulating vines with grape leaves occurring at regular intervals. Each leaf is preceded and followed by two or three grapes. Light dots run along the center of each vine. The tapestry bands are separated by a section of plain woven linen. The linen warps run perpendicular to the direction of the bands. The vines are created with purple wool and undyed linen wefts. The bands are set fairly close together, and so probably do not represent the clavi of a tunic. The textile may come from a furnishing—purple stripes were favorite motifs for furnishing textiles since Greek and Roman times—or another form of garment like a shawl. Furnishings from the domestic environment were often repurposed to wrap a body in a burial, and the staining on this textile confirms this use.
Dimensions
12.7 x 58.42 cm (5 x 23 in.)
Related Artworks
View MoreInk on silk
20th centuryAustrianSilk
17th centurySpanishWool and linen, tapestry weave
EgyptianSilk with selected elements in 'kesi' tapestry weave
17th-18th centuryChineseThe support medium is twill. The technique is brocade. The shape/form is "kesa
JapanesePlain-woven wool
14th-15th centurySpanishBook of swatches mounted on paper (56 sheets)
19th-20th centuryJapaneseWool and linen
5th-6th centuryByzantineSilk with vegetable dyes, warp and weft ikat designs; collar lining made of red crepe, robe lining made of red wool
18th-19th centuryJapanese