This silk band was of a type specifically used as decorative trimming for tunics. Large numbers of similar examples have been found in Egyptian burial sites. Stylistically they have their origins in classical Greek art. Some examples include Greek and Coptic names and were evidently made for the Christian market, while others, like this piece, have Islamic inscriptions. The tunic from which this band has been taken was probably plain in its decoration and was almost certainly discarded at the time of excavation.