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**First Time At Auction**

Egypt, Coptic, ca. 5th to 7th century CE. A fascinating textile fragment depicting a snake coiled around a bird in a central tondo surrounded by a crimson border. Dyed a hue of verdant green, the snake faces left and presents in two coils and a large raised head with a red tongue and circular eye. Between its coils, a petite bird, featuring a white head and black body, peeks out in the opposite direction. Two orange talons of the bird can be seen below the last coil of the snake. These two beasts are encased in a central tan tondo of ovoid form, framed by a red rectangle, a stripe of beige, and a red nautical wave design. Size: 1.5" W x 1.875" H (3.8 cm x 4.8 cm)

The Coptic culture was comprised of 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 while utilizing intricate patterns and vivid colors. Coptic textiles were used for myriad purposes like rugs, wall hangings, and clothing appliques and were exported throughout the empires of Rome and Byzantium. However, burial wrappings like this example were made locally, usually by the family of the deceased. Coptic textiles are some of the only examples of ancient textiles to have survived since they have been preserved by the arid climate of the Egyptian deserts.

Provenance: ex-Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired before 2000

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#158820

Fragment of larger piece. Expected light fraying to peripheries. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigment and nice earthen deposits.

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