Feb 16, 2011

Ornamental Shoulder Bands from a Tunic

Ornamental Shoulder Bands from a Tunic

AD 500s

Part of a set. See all set records

Tapestry weave with supplementary weft wrapping; undyed linen and dyed wool

Average: 7 x 43.5 cm (2 3/4 x 17 1/8 in.)

Gift of George D. Pratt 1926.145

Location

Did you know?

One band contains a nude female dancer playing finger cymbals while the other shows a shepherd carrying a crook and dressed in a skirt of animal skin.

Description

This fragment shows human figures including dancers, a hunter, and shepherd under arches alternating with animals such as dogs, rabbits, and a lion. The orientation of the figures indicates that these vertical bands were once part of a tunic. The decorative bands would have descended from the shoulders. Since the mid-3rd century tunics were the main garments worn in Egypt which was then part of the Roman Empire.

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