Tunic Fragments

This textile consists of several fragments of a tunic, which have been backed on a modern support dyed red in emulation of the ancient garment; several selvages of the piece survive. Two clavi, some shoulder decoration, two sleevebands, and a decorative square remain from the original garment, which was rendered in tapestry weave in beige, yellow-beige, red, and purple. The sleevebands consist of square patches, each with a central medallion encircling a horse and rider, in turn flanked by medallions containing animal and floral designs. These sleevebands are surrounded by knot or heart patterns placed at regular intervals along the edges of the sleeve. The shoulder squares and decorative square are filled with a complex interlace pattern, containing standing human figures, quadrupeds, and gem motifs. The clavi feature riding figures in medallions and spindly vegetal patterns. A cross pattern appears beneath the reinforced neckline. A partially preserved tuck appears between the end of the left clavus and the decorative square.

Colorful tunics represent an important subset of surviving late antique Egyptian garments: While earlier tunics tend to consist of colorful tapestry-woven decorations against plain, beige grounds, the prevalence of colorful garments appears a development of a slightly later date. Red, purple, and yellow grounds were particularly popular, based on the surviving examples of such tunics in collections today. The abstracted, almost baroque nature of the design elements of this example is also noteworthy.

The cross motif woven directly beneath the neckline is a striking detail on this tunic. Such depictions of crosses on garments are not unusual; a child’s tunic at Dumbarton Oaks, for example, features a cross embroidered in the same location (BZ.1970.46). The depiction of such crosses may have been intended to protect the wearer, much as a charm necklace might. The position over the neck, above the heart, may have been meaningful.J. Ball, “Charms: Protective and Auspicious Motifs,” in Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity, ed. T. K. Thomas (New York, 2016), 54–64.

Although this tunic is incompletely preserved, its surviving details make it possible to determine the original length of the garment. An integral stretch of the fabric is preserved from the tunic’s reinforced neckline to the bottom edge of one side, ending in a selvage. This indicates the textile was originally intended for a quite small person, and possibly reached only halfway down the individual’s legs. Tucks are a common feature of late antique tunics, though their function is not entirely understood.Discussed by K. Colburn, “A Closer Look at Textiles from the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Materials and Techniques,” in Thomas, Designing Identity, 131. They may have been intended as a fashion statement, or simply to accommodate wearers of difference sizes.

—Elizabeth Dospěl Williams, May 2019

Washington, DC, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion, September 10, 2019—January 5, 2020.