Egypt, Coptic culture, ca. 4th to 5th century CE. A large fragment from a woven textile made of cotton threads. The panel was once a light white or creamy color, and an intricate pattern is woven in dark blue threads down the center. The main iconography includes that of stylized anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures within rectangular and ovoid areas. The animals are not easily discernable, but may be of the canine persuasion. Some of the people are holding up their arms, clutching leafy branches or other items. A lovely decorative border of petite triangles forming cross shapes surrounds the central motif. One end of the panel has a tasseled border where the threads end and are bound off. A precious piece, wonderfully displayed and protected within a modern frame! Size of textile: 25" L x 9" W (63.5 cm x 22.9 cm); size of frame: 12" L x 1" W x 35" H (30.5 cm x 2.5 cm x 88.9 cm)

The Coptic culture included the Christian descendants of the ancient Egyptians. The emergence of Coptic art coincided with the decline of the Roman Empire and corresponded with the reemergence of native art in Egypt. Coptic weavers created masterpieces of textile art of intricate patterns and vivid colors. Coptic textiles were used for myriad purposes such as rugs, wall hangings, and clothing appliques and were exported throughout the empires of Rome and Byzantium. Coptic textiles are some of the only examples of ancient textiles to have survived, since they were preserved by the arid climate of the Egyptian deserts.

Provenance: private Ventura County, California, USA collection, acquired in the 1990-2000

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#163492

Fragment of a larger piece. Age commensurate staining and discoloration. Perforations and tears to textile. Fraying to peripheries. Mounted and protected within a modern frame.