For centuries, the native weavers of Egypt were famous for the richness of their work. Using intricate patterns and vivid colors, Coptic weavers created masterpieces of textile art. Coptic textiles,...
For centuries, the native weavers of Egypt were famous for the richness of their work. Using intricate patterns and vivid colors, Coptic weavers created masterpieces of textile art. Coptic textiles, used for rugs, wall hangings and clothing appliques, were exported throughout the Roman and Byzantine empires. However, the finest surviving examples come from Egypt itself, where a dry climate has preserved the delicate fabric. Intimate in scale yet monumental in vision, these woven pictures speak of a world alive with color and movement.
This fragment appears to contain part of the collar of a tunic. A motif of red flowers and buds lines the curve of the collar and reappears along the side of the garment; although here a green rectangle containing a fish framed by two curves lines that spiral at their ends interrupts the pattern of alternating flowers and buds.