Fragment of a hanging or cover, plain woven linen with weft loop pile, Egypt, 4th Century - 5th Century

Fragment from a large, linen hanging or cover, original width unknown, with decoration in wool weft loop pile in various colours. At the top are warp fringes, and then a band of green. The decoration below can then be divided into several zones:

1. Rows of bands divided into sections of red and pink, orange and yellow, and dark and light green, each with a scalloped outline and interior decoration with green dots. These may be intended to represent a vegetal motif. There is a red and pink cross in the centre of this area. The areas surrounding these bands are looped in linen.

2. Below this is a large multicoloured dolphin, again surrounded by undyed linen loops, with various scattered areas of wool loops in red and green.

3. Underneath this is an area of plain woven linen with self bands, and finally a human figure of which only the head remains. At the very top of the fabric are fringes.

Given by H.M. Kennard, Esq.

See Cairo Coptic Museum 8461 for a very similar piece.

Portion of a linen cloth, faced with loops; ornament woven in coloured woollen loops. Party-coloured bands of scalloped outline, a large dolphin, and portion of a subject of which a human head alone remains. The colours are red, pink, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple.

319-1889