Cleveland Museum of Art

Nereid (Sea-Nymph) from a Hanging

Date

late 300s–400s CE

Medium

dyed wool, undyed linen

Culture

Byzantine Empire (Egypt)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The brilliant colors and complex design of this panel, likely one of several forming a tapestry, testify to its makers’ skill. Vines and birds frame a nereid, a mermaidlike mythological creature, against a dark blue ground. The weaver has aligned different-colored threads to create shading and special details. Blue threads representing water are integrated into the weaving of the glass bowl. Alternating pink and blue threads combine to create a smoky effect around the nereid’s eyes. Small spots across the surface are stable organic spores and fortunately do not affect the condition of this millennia-old textile. Look closely at the eyeliner beneath the eye: it is formed by mixing two colors of thread, pink and blue.

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