Except for the tabula with a horseman, elegantly designed foliated scrolls, with fruit and leaves, dominate the decoration. Clearly, the amateur of curiosities is supposed not to care about the inverted orientation of the clavi.
Origin:
Egypt
Date:
4th - 6th century
Material:
Linen and wool
Dimensions:
Left clavus: warp: 4cm, weft: 37cm; right clavus: warp: 4cm, weft: 34cm; tabula
(1): warp: 13cm, weft: 13cm; tabula
(2): warp: 13cm, weft: 13cm; tabula
(3): warp: 10cm, weft: 9.5cm
Comparisons:
British Museum, inv. 21801: horseman.
RMAH, Brussels, inv. ACO.Tx. 0267: idem.
Musée des Antiquités, Rouen, inv. 2002.0.16: clavi.
Landesmuseum Württemberg, inv. GT 3815: clavus and tabula border.
RGZM, Mainz, inv. O.32168.
Provenance:
Collection Coptic textiles Fill-Trevisiol: donation
Location:
Musée royal de Mariemont
Inwoven tapestries from a linen tunic
I. No ground weave
II. Tapestry areas
Warp:
natural-coloured linen S
Weft:
purple wool Z: 78/cm; natural-coloured linen S: 65/cm
Weave:
extended tabby 2/3
Ribs per cm:
10
Special techniques:
slit tapestry, eccentric weft, vertical weft brocading, flying thread brocading for details
Dyes analysed:
weftthread: purple Z wool: madder, indigo/woad 10