1977.216.2209: Textile Fragment: Animals and Figures Around Vegetation
Textile Arts
This object does not yet have a description.
Identification and Creation
- Object Number
- 1977.216.2209
- Title
- Textile Fragment: Animals and Figures Around Vegetation
- Other Titles
- Former Title: MUMMY WRAPPING JUNE 9, 1975 K P ERHART SENT TO REG ISTRARS FOR STORAGE UNDER BETTER CONDITION STORED IN BASEMENT TEXTILE AREA, CASE 13. ONLY UNFRAMED.
- Classification
- Textile Arts
- Work Type
- textile
- Date
- 7th-8th century
- Places
- Creation Place: Africa, Egypt
- Period
- Byzantine period
- Culture
- Byzantine
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/290924
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Wool and linen
- Technique
- Woven, tapestry weave
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Department of the Classics, Harvard University, Bequest of John H. Treat Esq.
- Accession Year
- 1977
- Object Number
- 1977.216.2209
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.
Descriptions
- Description
-
A portion of a red tapestry woven square (tabula). The design is characterized by mirror symmetry. Animals and birds flank a large abstract, jeweled candelabra plant emerging from an urn. The plant’s eight geometric fronds are made up of interlocking color segments and terminate in small green leaves. These fronds are outlined in white, possibly in soumack stitch. Small tendrils branch off the main leaves of the plant, adding greater complexity to the design. Between the fronds, a stalk with jeweled bars rises up from the plant’s base. Above these is a pair of animals, possibly rabbits. Green geese wearing white ribbons sit among the plant’s upper foliage. Another pair of mammals sits in the mid-level foliage. Two riders are visible at the base of the plant. Behind their heads are green ducks. A brown border containing a gold vine scroll survives on two edges of the square. Many areas of lost wefts in the plants and figures.
The square is sewn onto a plain linen backing fabric.
- Commentary
-
The composition is nearly exactly the same as that of the more complete square in the Museum der Kulturen Basel (no. III 2778) [1]; though they differ in border decoration, they were certainly based on the same pattern and might come from the same workshop. This more complete square allows us to have a better idea of the bottom of this textile would have been like. Looking at the MKB square, it becomes clear that the male figures with cloaks caught in the wind ride upon maned lions and hold forth baskets of fruit. These may be representations of Dionysus.
[1] Published in Maya Muller, “Mythological Scenes, Their Roman and Pharaonic Roots, and the Role of Symmetry on Byzantine Textiles.” In Drawing the Threads Together: Textiles and Footwear of the 1st millennium AD from Egypt, 194-207. Edited by Antoine De Moor Cäcilia Fluck Petra Linscheid. Tielt: Lannoo, 2013.
Border is similar to that of Harvard's 1923.9 and to that seen on Met 2002.239.18
Verification Level
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu