Design
300-500 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a rare survival of a design for a woven tapestry from the Romano-Egyptian period, about 4th to 5th century. The design is drawn on papyrus and shows two nude human figures, one probably representing Orpheus, on a circular black field. The main design is surrounded by a white circle with animals in black, the whole included in a black square with four human heads in reserve filling the spandrels. On the left there is a portion of a narrow border with human and plant forms in reserve on black.
Patterns such as this could be re-employed when required for the production of several garments. They could be combined with others, or individual motifs could be interchanged among them. This might explain the almost exact repetition of certain designs, and partly accounts for the recurrence of certain popular motifs over centuries.
Patterns such as this could be re-employed when required for the production of several garments. They could be combined with others, or individual motifs could be interchanged among them. This might explain the almost exact repetition of certain designs, and partly accounts for the recurrence of certain popular motifs over centuries.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Drawing on papyrus |
| Brief description | Papyrus pattern sheet for tapestry weaving, showing Orpheus withing a circle. |
| Physical description | Drawing on papyrus: main design of two nude human figures (one with dotted halo), one probably represent Orpheus, all in reserve on circular black field, which is surrounded by a white circle with animals in black, the whole included in a black square with four humad heads in reserve filling the spandrels. On the left: portion of a narrow border with human and plant forms in reserve on black. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Professor Percy E. Newberry |
| Historical context | Drawings on papyrus and later on paper, which were found in Egyptian settlement dumps, can be identified as patterns. Such patterns could not only be reemployed as desired for the production of several garments, but could be combined, or individual motifs could be interchanged among them. This might explain the almost exact repetition of certain designs and partly accounts for the somewhat monotonous recurrence of certain popular motifs over centuries. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is a rare survival of a design for a woven tapestry from the Romano-Egyptian period, about 4th to 5th century. The design is drawn on papyrus and shows two nude human figures, one probably representing Orpheus, on a circular black field. The main design is surrounded by a white circle with animals in black, the whole included in a black square with four human heads in reserve filling the spandrels. On the left there is a portion of a narrow border with human and plant forms in reserve on black. Patterns such as this could be re-employed when required for the production of several garments. They could be combined with others, or individual motifs could be interchanged among them. This might explain the almost exact repetition of certain designs, and partly accounts for the recurrence of certain popular motifs over centuries. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.15-1946 |
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| Record created | October 28, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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