Coptic tissue fragment with animal figure

Unknown artist

It is a grave find from the 7th-8th century. The function was probably that of adornment of a garment.The term 'Coptic textile' is used for fabrics found in Egyptian tombs from the Roman, Coptic and early Islamic periods (ca. 2nd-9th centuries AD). In the first centuries of this period it was customary to bury the dead in their daily clothing. Later on, people started using special, expensive burial cloths. Because of the dry soil and the preservative effect of the wood of the coffin, originating from sycomore, a wild fig tree, many fabrics have been found in good condition. A large part of the excavated garments and tissue fragments consists of linen and woollen shirts (tunica) decorated with bands (clavi) and round and square banding. These bands and trims are usually made of wool in tapestry technique (Arabic: qabati).