Textile Fragment
6th Century - 10th Century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fragment of a plain woven, undyed linen tunic, decorated with a set of three clavi alternating between brocaded and tapestry woven dyed wool. The clavi are incomplete at the top, but preserve their pendants at the bottom.
On the first and third clavi, a repeated geometric pattern is brocaded in pink, red, orange, and dark green dyed wools; the clavus is outlined and the geometric cross-shaped motifs held within a diaper lozenge of white-beige wool. At the base of each of these is a pendant containing another cross-motif in orange. Between these two brocaded clavi is a tapestry woven clavus; at the centre is a floral ornament in pink, white, orange, dark and light green on a red ground, bordered above and below by a row of faces within roundels, on an orange ground. At the base of this clavus is a pendant with a leaf-shaped ornament in orange, red, yellow and blue. The whole clavus is outlined in dark blue-green. Portions of the wool have been lost from the clavus.
On the first and third clavi, a repeated geometric pattern is brocaded in pink, red, orange, and dark green dyed wools; the clavus is outlined and the geometric cross-shaped motifs held within a diaper lozenge of white-beige wool. At the base of each of these is a pendant containing another cross-motif in orange. Between these two brocaded clavi is a tapestry woven clavus; at the centre is a floral ornament in pink, white, orange, dark and light green on a red ground, bordered above and below by a row of faces within roundels, on an orange ground. At the base of this clavus is a pendant with a leaf-shaped ornament in orange, red, yellow and blue. The whole clavus is outlined in dark blue-green. Portions of the wool have been lost from the clavus.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Plain woven linen, tapestry woven wool, wool brocade |
Brief description | Fragment of a tunic, plain woven linen, tapestry woven linen and wool and wool brocade, Egypt, possibly 6th - 10th Century |
Physical description | Fragment of a plain woven, undyed linen tunic, decorated with a set of three clavi alternating between brocaded and tapestry woven dyed wool. The clavi are incomplete at the top, but preserve their pendants at the bottom. On the first and third clavi, a repeated geometric pattern is brocaded in pink, red, orange, and dark green dyed wools; the clavus is outlined and the geometric cross-shaped motifs held within a diaper lozenge of white-beige wool. At the base of each of these is a pendant containing another cross-motif in orange. Between these two brocaded clavi is a tapestry woven clavus; at the centre is a floral ornament in pink, white, orange, dark and light green on a red ground, bordered above and below by a row of faces within roundels, on an orange ground. At the base of this clavus is a pendant with a leaf-shaped ornament in orange, red, yellow and blue. The whole clavus is outlined in dark blue-green. Portions of the wool have been lost from the clavus. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | 242-1887 to 297-1887 inclusive purchased for 9s 6d from Reverend Greville Chester. |
Association | |
Bibliographic reference | A set of clavi in a similar alternating tapestry and brocade style are held in Dumbarton Oaks (BZ.1953.2.88). According to the online collections entry for this piece, multiple clavi are more commonly found on the backs of tunics. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 258-1887 |
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Record created | June 24, 2009 |
Record URL |
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