Textile ArtsCoptic8th century

Fragment: Floral Pendants

8th century

Description

Tapestry woven wool fragment. Two sets of floral pendants (small and large) descend from a rectangle divided into compartments by connecting flowers and vines; these flowers and vines, outlined in dark blue, form a diaper pattern. The vine tendrils are formed from two opposing wave scrolls. Inside the compartments created by the diaper pattern are animals or figures, now hard to discern. Some of these are positioned against a soft red background. Selvedge at right edge. Although tunics commonly feature pendants hanging from the neck ornamentation, because of the placement of the selvedge in relation to the design, this was likely not originally part of a tunic but rather a hanging or other furnishing textile. Band of lighter fabric at bottom. Some supplementary weft wrapping survives on the right edge of the upper rectangle, creating details of the vine tendrils. Undyed wool warps, s-twist. Wool wefts, s-twist, of red, green, blue, light buff, and undyed yarn.

Classification

Textile Arts

Technique

Tapestry

Medium

Wool, tapestry woven

Culture

Coptic

Period

Byzantine period

Century

8th century