Coptic Textile
500-600 CE
Egypt
Benaki Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient Egypt, Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire
Theme
Trade, Movement and Exchange
Subtheme
Byzantium: The New Rome and Its Trade Links
Case Title
Rome Lives on: Byzantium
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Egypt
Measurements
19 x 17 cm
Accession Number
7035
Description
Few ancient textiles survive, but thanks to the dry Egyptian climate, we can see how Christian Egyptians – the Copts – combined in their textiles ancient Greek with Christian motifs.
The labours of the popular hero Herakles became a model for the struggles of the Christian Saints. Here, Herakles fights the foreign queen Hippolyta. The old gods of Greece and Rome did not die, but long remained part of everyday life.
