Cleveland Museum of Art

Tunic Fragment with Segmentum

Date

c. 500

Medium

Wool, linen, and dye

Culture

Africa, North Africa, Egypt, Coptic-style weaver(s)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Segmentum (medallions) like this decorated tunics in Coptic Egypt. Medallions were woven into a tunic’s shoulders or lower half. This medallion's design scheme displays waves encircling geometric shapes and representational images. Coptic can refer to a language, an ethnic group, a religion, or an artistic style (which wasn’t always Christian). Coptic classical imagery reflects the Hellenized (Greek, 305–30 BC) and Roman cultures of Egypt (30 BC–AD 395) before the Byzantine era. Many different kinds of birds are woven into this medallion, hiding amongst the floral and scroll designs.

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