The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 7, 2023

Roundel from a Tunic with Palmette Tree

700s–800s

Egypt or Syria, 8th-9th century

Silk; complementary weft-faced twill weave with inner warps (samite)

Overall: 18.1 x 18.4 cm (7 1/8 x 7 1/4 in.); Mounted: 27.9 x 26.7 cm (11 x 10 1/2 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1982.296

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

Originally designed in Byzantine Egypt or possibly Syria, patterns like this were woven throughout a period of two to four centuries.

Description

Four or six squares of this luxurious two-color silk were originally sewn on a linen tunic, two positioned above the hemline in the front and two in the back, and possibly two more at the shoulder. The folded edges are still visible, including a silk sewing thread on the right side. The brittle condition is evident in the numerous crisp breaks.

Provenance
found in Akhmim (?); Mme. Paul Mallon, Paris.
Exhibition history

Textiles from Egypt, Syria and Spain: 7th through 15th centuries. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 26-June 6, 1991).

Coptic Textile Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 12, 2016-May 22, 2017).

Coptic Textile Rotation Gallery 106. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 18, 2021-November 13, 2022).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.296