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Ornamental Square from a Tunic

400s
tapestry weave with supplementary weft wrapping; undyed linen and dyed wool
Overall: 16.5 x 16.2 cm (6 1/2 x 6 3/8 in.); Mounted: 24.1 x 23.8 cm (9 1/2 x 9 3/8 in.)
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1982.80
Location: 106A Migration Period & Coptic
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Description

This mythological scene of the first labor of Hercules––capturing the Nemean lion––originally decorated the front, back, or shoulder of a unisex linen tunic. Hercules was tasked with performing 12 labors as penance for slaying his own wife and children. Here he carries a club with a lion skin slung over his shoulder, serving as impenetrable armor. His companion, Iolaus, carries his bow and quiver on the right. The small figure in the center is unidentified. Knotted ornaments fill the corners, surrounded by a broad purple border edged with a running wave motif.
Ornamental Square from a Tunic

Ornamental Square from a Tunic

400s

Egypt, Byzantine period

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