Collection Online as of March 27, 2023
Tunic Fragment with Segmentum
Wool, linen, and dye
Overall: 34 x 29.2 cm (13 3/8 x 11 1/2 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1982.270
Location
not on view
Description
Segmentum (medallions) like this decorated tunics in Coptic Egypt. Medallions were woven into a tunic’s shoulders or lower half. This medallion's design scheme displays waves encircling geometric shapes and representational images. Coptic can refer to a language, an ethnic group, a religion, or an artistic style (which wasn’t always Christian). Coptic classical imagery reflects the Hellenized (Greek, 305–30 BC) and Roman cultures of Egypt (30 BC–AD 395) before the Byzantine era.