This deep-purple grape leaf once decorated the plain linen ground of a curtain. It probably refers to Dionysus, the classical god of wine, whose cult was popular in Egypt through the 6th century.

A pair of irregularly shaped linen and wool textile fragments are displayed side-by-side. Each features a prominent, dark brown five-lobed grape leaf with delicate tan veins set against a warm tan background. Below each leaf, a thick, dark stem with small nodes curves slightly leftward. The fragments' jagged, worn edges closely trace the leaves' silhouettes, suggesting they were salvaged from a larger decorative textile, their deep tones contrasting with the neutral ground.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Grape Leaves from a Curtain

Egypt, Byzantine period

Description