Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0504
Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY A.D.
6 3/4 - 7 7/8 in. (40 grams total including package, 17-20 cm).
Comprising: terminal part of a clavus from a tunic with an orbiculus, in purple wool on linen, embroidered with vegetal and floral motifs, framed by straight borders with external crenellation; a fragment of segmentum in yellow, green and red wool, S torsion, embroidered with floral and geometric patterns. [2, No Reserve]
Provenance
Acquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Literature
Cf. Del Francia Barocas, L., Antinoe, Cent’anni dopo, catalogo della mostra, Firenze, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, 10 Luglio – 1 novembre 1998, p.83, for similar textiles.
Footnotes
The fragments are decorative parts of tunics. These are fabrics of great decorative finesse, with some elements displaying an unusual and extremely well-preserved color palette. The plant designs recall Iranian motifs.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Large Egyptian Bronze Wepwawet Amulet
Third Intermediate-Late Period, 1069-332 B.C.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,750
Showing the jackal deity Wepwawet standing with ears pricked on a sledge, the slender body modelled with long legs and a tail, suspension loop on the back; two rearing cobras before the jackal; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 54 grams, 91 mm (162 grams total, 11.7 cm including stand )
Ex Dr R. and Mrs L.B., Zumikon, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12627-236406.
Wepwawet, meaning "Opener of the Ways," was an ancient Egyptian god associated primarily with warfare, protection, and funerary practices. Depicted as a jackal or a man with a jackal's head—often mistaken for Anubis—Wepwawet was believed to guide souls through the afterlife and open paths both in battle and in the spiritual realm. He originated in Asyut (ancient Lycopolis) in Upper Egypt and was one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, with worship dating back to at least the First Dynasty (c. 3100–2900 BCE). Over time, Wepwawet became closely linked to Anubis, and the two were sometimes conflated, though Wepwawet retained his distinct identity as a god who preceded and cleared the way. In military contexts, Wepwawet was invoked to "open the way" for pharaohs and armies, ensuring victory and safe passage. In funerary texts, he was described as clearing the path to the afterlife, acting as a scout or guide for the deceased. -
Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Comprising a fragment of a large segmentum in linen and wool, embroidered with a dancer, followed by a tondo with a Nereid riding a dolphin, borders with geometric decorations; an orbiculus decorated with vegetal patterns. 37 grams total including package, 6.7-14 cm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
The segmentum was probably part of the vertical clavus of a tunic; it is highly probable that the embroidery refers to the Dionysian cycle with dancers, animals and probably, in the missing parts, hunters. -
Egyptian Faience Hieroglyphic Scarab
Late-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Detailed carapace and legs, underside with hieroglyphs including opposing wedjat and djed pillar; pierced longitudinally. 6.64 grams, 24 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
