Showing posts with label textiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label textiles. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

I've had days like that, too

How funny are these little guys! They were part of a dress found near the Black Sea, and were to be traded on the Silk Road. The little 'ears' on top of their heads are to show that the faces are not from ordinary humans, but it's unclear whether they are representing an animal or a mask of some kind.
From a border of a Women's dress, 6-9th century. A translation of the description is:
"Found in Moscevaja Balka by E.A. Milovanov, 1968. Inventory Nr. Kz6740. Height: 24.5 cm. Width: 31.5 cm. Linen, Silk."

Source: "Von China nach Byzanz: Frühmittelalterliche Seiden aus der Staatlichen Ermitage St. Petersburg." Anna A. Ierusalimskaja und Birgitt Borkopp. Bayerisches National Museum, München 1996. P.27

Monday, January 5, 2009

My Little Coptic Pony


And for the first entry, I give you this. Description translates to: "Pegasoi in Medallions. Wool textile(detail), from the excavation of A. Gayet in Antinoe, 67x39 cm, 6/7th century (?). Lyon, Musee Historique des Tissues, Inv. Nr. 28.520/27 - The pattern of the fabric is made of lines of medallions with red backgrounds, that contain running pegasoi; between these, on a green background, little heart-shaped images are strewn. On the border are flowers contained in diamonds. The work originates from a workshop in Antinoe, and is based on Sassanid silk textiles."
Source: "Propyläen Kunst Geschichte Vol. 3, Byzanz." W.F. Volbach, J. Lafontaine-Dosogne. Propyläen Verlag Berlin. Plate 407b.