Cleveland Museum of Art

Two Figures Framed by a Jeweled Border

Date

450–550 CE

Medium

wool, linen, and dye

Culture

Byzantine Empire (Egypt)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This weaving depicts a haloed man and woman. However, it once had a third figure at left. The textile was damaged before its 1979 acquisition; only the third figure’s partial halo and shoes remained. Staff decided to “close the gap” around the missing area and remove the shoes. While creating a “complete” image, that removal affects our ability to understand the weaving’s subject. Many questions remain: Who are the man and woman? His red cap may identify him as an “Easterner” or a freeman. Who was their missing companion? Continuing research will consider biblical and Greek mythological stories in which threads play a role.

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