The weavers of Coptic Egypt created vibrant masterpieces in colored wool and silk to adorn the clothing of secular and ecclesiastic officials. This unusual circular fragment, once attached to a...
The weavers of Coptic Egypt created vibrant masterpieces in colored wool and silk to adorn the clothing of secular and ecclesiastic officials. This unusual circular fragment, once attached to a tunic, depicts a stylized human figure bent into an animal pose. It may represent the Biblical story of the madness of Nebuchadnezzar, or perhaps it is simply a comment on the human condition. Rendered in the bold lines and colors of early Christian art, it possesses the hypnotic, surreal quality of a dream. The centuries have in no way diminished its visual power.