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Tapestry fragment
Egyptian (Coptic)
Early Byzantine
about 300
Medium/Technique
Linen and wool, with eccentric weft (S-spun)
Dimensions
Overall: 27 x 36 cm (10 5/8 x 14 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Denman Waldo Ross Collection
Accession Number23.177
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsTextiles
DescriptionNatural colored linen with a tree shaped tapestry medallion. The tree is woven with dark brown wool on a light natural-colored linen ground. On the central stem is a Greek inscription signifying fertility (Euphoria). A branch that carries fruits and leaves stems from each side of the central stem; and a bird is on each side of the two branches. The inscription shows that the motifs in the tapestry are meant to express the abundance of life.
Provenance1923, gift of Denman Waldo Ross (b. 1853 - d. 1935), Cambridge, MA, to the MFA. (Accession Date: March 1, 1923)