Three pieces of decoration for a red tunic on blue ground

Inventory number: FT 16
Photo Michel Lechien, Musée royal de Mariemont

Two orbiculi and border of a sleeve from a woollen tunic, with symmetrical branched motifs. The border has two sections, separated by a wavy line with little dots on either side.

Origin:

Egypt

Date:

5th - 7th century

Material:

Linen and wool

Dimensions:

Orbiculus with twining: warp: 14 cm, weft: 15.5 cm; orbiculus: warp: 13 cm, weft: 16 cm; sleeve decoration: warp: 12.5 cm, weft: 28 cm

Comparisons:

Louvre, inv. 4683: sleeve decoration.
California Academy of Sciences, inv. 389-2401: idem.

Provenance:

Collection Coptic textiles Fill-Trevisiol: donation

Location:

Musée royal de Mariemont

Inwoven tapestry of a tunic

I. Ground weave

Warp:

red wool S: 10-11/cm

Weft:

red wool S: 30/cm

Weave:

weft-faced tabby

II. Tapestry areas

Warp:

red wool S: 10-11/cm

Weft:

blue wool S: +/- 50/cm; natural-coloured linen S

Weave:

weft-faced tabby

Special techniques:

slit tapestry, eccentric weft, dovetailing with extra red yarn vertical weft brocading covering the blue wefts, vertical weft brocading, twining: 3-3 span countered twining with two S3 yarns each; selvedges at both sides of sleeve fragment: two units of two warps each

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