Tunic Fragment with Segmentum

c. 500

Tunic Fragment with Segmentum, c. 500. Africa, North Africa, Egypt, Coptic-style weaver(s). Wool, linen, and dye; overall: 34 x 29.2 cm (13 3/8 x 11 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1982.270 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.