Egyptian Mounted Coptic Textile
Circa 5th-6th century A.D. The decorative border from a garment (cloak?), wool weaving on linen and purple, tendril pattern; the wide, undecorated central red purple panel framed with purple wavy tendrils with arrowhead-shaped leaves. Cf. Wulff, O. & Volbach, W.F., Spätantike und koptische Stoffe aus ägyptischen Grabfunden in den Staatlichen Museen Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum / Ägyptisches Museum Schliemann-Sammlung, Berlin, 1926, no.9662, p.55, for similar textile. 131 grams, 41.5 x 26 cm (16 1/4 x 26 cm).

Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. Cloaks and mantles were the main type of outer garments worn by men in late antiquity. They are mentioned in the sources under a variety of names: birrus, caracallus,cucullus, lacerna, sagum, paenula and paludamentum. Unfortunately, despite the fact that cloaks were such important garments they are preserved in far fewer numbers from burials in Egypt than tunics, except as fragments. [No Reserve]