Not currently on display at the V&A

Textile Fragment

ca. AD200-500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A panel of tapestry-woven wool and linen, some embroidery. Egyptian, ca. AD200-500. The warp is of undyed linen, double and s-spun. Linen is also used as weft and thread to create a guillloche interlace border round the main decoration. The s-spun wool is brown/purple, red and green. The panel is mainly square but with a small triangle enclosing a floral icon, on either side. The square is outlined with the guilloche border and surrounds four circles. Around the circles are floral icons. Two circles enclose tree/floral icons and the other two enclose a striped vase with three petals rising from the mouth. These petals form half the 'rose/cross' icon that is common to Coptic design (ie: an icon of four heart shaped petals, with the pointed ends towards each other, separated with a short cross.) Along one side there are remains of a slit tapestry linen border while on the opposite side are whip stitches of linen thread that once attached the panel to another linen piece.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Woven linen and wool
Brief description
Tapestry woven wool and linen. Embroidery. Egyptian, ca. AD200-500.
Physical description
A panel of tapestry-woven wool and linen, some embroidery. The warp is of undyed linen, double and s-spun. Linen is also used as weft and as thread to create a guillloche, interlace border round the main decoration. The s-spun wool is brown/purple, red and green. The panel is mainly square but with a small triangle enclosing a floral icon, on either side. The square is outlined with the guilloche border and surrounds four circles. Around the circles are floral icons. Two circles enclose tree/floral icons and the other two enclose a striped vase with three petals rising from the mouth. These petals form half the 'rose/cross' icon that is common to Coptic design (ie: an icon of four heart shaped petals, with the pointed ends towards each other, separated with a short cross.) Along one side there are remains of a slit tapestry linen border while on the opposite side are whip stitches of linen thread that once attached the panel to another linen piece.
Dimensions
  • Height: 230mm
  • Width: 320mm
  • Of panel length: 6in
  • Of panel width: 6in
Style
Credit line
Given by Robert Taylor Esq. in 1900
Summary
A panel of tapestry-woven wool and linen, some embroidery. Egyptian, ca. AD200-500. The warp is of undyed linen, double and s-spun. Linen is also used as weft and thread to create a guillloche interlace border round the main decoration. The s-spun wool is brown/purple, red and green. The panel is mainly square but with a small triangle enclosing a floral icon, on either side. The square is outlined with the guilloche border and surrounds four circles. Around the circles are floral icons. Two circles enclose tree/floral icons and the other two enclose a striped vase with three petals rising from the mouth. These petals form half the 'rose/cross' icon that is common to Coptic design (ie: an icon of four heart shaped petals, with the pointed ends towards each other, separated with a short cross.) Along one side there are remains of a slit tapestry linen border while on the opposite side are whip stitches of linen thread that once attached the panel to another linen piece.
Collection
Accession number
2139-1900

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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