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Late Antique Egyptian Textiles at Boston College

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Tapestry Band in Colored Wool

5th-6th century

This spectacular fragment depicts five interlinked medallions, each presenting a different iconographic story. The central medallion presents grapevines and leaves surrounding a single red fruit, perhaps an apple or a pomegranate. The first and fourth medallions contain variously colored animals, including birds and lions. The second and fifth medallions show dancing human figures among various vines and vegetal motifs. The entire vertical composition is framed by a vibrant trefoil pattern. Considering the intricate designs, rich polychromatic color scheme, and evocative symbolism, it is likely that someone of great wealth owned the garment or tapestry that once contained this fragment.

Compare with the dancers, vegetal, and animal motifs found on the tunic fragments BZ.1973.1, BZ.1973.2, and BZ.1973.7 in the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection. See also the fruit-tree motifs found on BZ.1973.36, also at Dumbarton Oaks.

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Public Domain

Artwork Details

Title:

Tapestry Band in Colored Wool

Date:

5th-6th century

Geography:

Egypt

Classification:

Textile

Materials:

Linen and wool

Dimensions:

50.25 x 17.75 cm (19.75 x 7 in)


Repository and Provenance

Repository:

McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Accession Number:

McMullen 2018.25

Tellalian Number:

Tellalian 1988-00600

Donor:

Barbara and Donald Tellalian

Provenance:

Purchased from Gail Martin, Martin and Ullman Artweave Textile Gallery, New York, NY on 4 March 1988. Prior provenance unknown.

Exhibition History:

McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College. Roman in the Provinces: Art on the Periphery of Empire, 14 February - 31 May 2015. https://www.bc.edu/sites/artmuseum/exhibitions/rip/

Publication History:

Nicgorski, Ann M. “The Fate of Serapis: A Paradigm for Transformations in the Culture and Art of Late Roman Egypt.” In Roman in the Provinces: Art on the Periphery of Empire, edited by Lisa R. Brody and Gail L. Hoffman, 153–66, plate 140. Boston College: McMullen Museum of Art, distributed by the University of Chicago Press, 2014.

Conservation History:

Unknown date: Textile Conservation Center, North Andover, MA

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