Tunic
130-340 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tunic belonged to a woman who lived between 130 - 340 AD. It was excavated in the 1880s at a grave in Akhmim in Upper Egypt, together with numerous items of clothing, textiles and other artefacts. The graves were located in the hot, dry sands beyond the flood plains of the Nile. These provided ideal conditions for the long-term survival of textiles and clothing.
The practise of mummification had ceased by this time and bodies were often dressed in everyday wear. The voluminous T-shaped tunic was common wear at the time, usually worn with a belt. Such garments were not made by cutting cloth to shape in the modern way but were woven on the loom to the shape and size required.
Egypt was a province of Rome from the first to the third century and the stripes on the tunic, although purely decorative, derive from the shoulder bands (clavi) on the Roman toga which indicated the status or position of the wearer.
The practise of mummification had ceased by this time and bodies were often dressed in everyday wear. The voluminous T-shaped tunic was common wear at the time, usually worn with a belt. Such garments were not made by cutting cloth to shape in the modern way but were woven on the loom to the shape and size required.
Egypt was a province of Rome from the first to the third century and the stripes on the tunic, although purely decorative, derive from the shoulder bands (clavi) on the Roman toga which indicated the status or position of the wearer.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Linen with tapestry woven decoration in wool with a small amount of gold thread |
| Brief description | Tunic or dalmatica for a woman of linen with tapestry woven decoration in wool and gold thread, made in Egypt (probably Akhmim), 130-340 AD |
| Physical description | Tunic or dalmatica for a woman of linen with tapestry woven ornaments in purple wool and undyed linen thread, consisting of long shoulder-bands and cuffs-bands. Each is composed of a broad stripe, with fret ornament forming a double row of oblong panels, which enclose interlacings and stem designs, on either side of a narrow wavy stripe. The ornament is traced in an outline of fine linen thread on the purple ground. The bands are doubled on the cuffs. Very full, with wide sleeves and woven in one piece. The bands of bare warp threads show where rods have been inserted in the warps to facilitate the weaving. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | (A short band in purple wool and gold thread near the bottom of the tunic may have indicated a particular workshop although this has not been identified) |
| Object history | Purchased from Caspar Purdon Clarke |
| Production | Found in a burial site at Akhmim, Upper Egypt and probably made there as it was a provincial weaving centre |
| Association | |
| Summary | This tunic belonged to a woman who lived between 130 - 340 AD. It was excavated in the 1880s at a grave in Akhmim in Upper Egypt, together with numerous items of clothing, textiles and other artefacts. The graves were located in the hot, dry sands beyond the flood plains of the Nile. These provided ideal conditions for the long-term survival of textiles and clothing. The practise of mummification had ceased by this time and bodies were often dressed in everyday wear. The voluminous T-shaped tunic was common wear at the time, usually worn with a belt. Such garments were not made by cutting cloth to shape in the modern way but were woven on the loom to the shape and size required. Egypt was a province of Rome from the first to the third century and the stripes on the tunic, although purely decorative, derive from the shoulder bands (clavi) on the Roman toga which indicated the status or position of the wearer. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 361:1, 2-1887 |
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| Record created | June 16, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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