Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This tapestry fragment, depicting the haloed head of a woman, was likely part of a domestic curtain or wall hanging.Curtains and wall hangings were used in private homes, as well as in public and religious buildings, to prevent drafts, divide spaces, and provide privacy. The tapestry weave of this piece is ideal for such textiles, as it produces a design that can be viewed from either side.The woman, wearing earrings and a necklace with pendant, may be a personification. Different colors are used to achieve modeling of the cheeks, chin, and nose, and a subtle alteration of the weave distinguishes the lower edge of the face from the neck.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
11468
label
Head of a Woman
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
11468
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Head of a Woman
description
This tapestry fragment, depicting the haloed head of a woman, was likely part of a domestic curtain or wall hanging.Curtains and wall hangings were used in private homes, as well as in public and religious buildings, to prevent drafts, divide spaces, and provide privacy. The tapestry weave of this piece is ideal for such textiles, as it produces a design that can be viewed from either side.The woman, wearing earrings and a necklace with pendant, may be a personification. Different colors are used to achieve modeling of the cheeks, chin, and nose, and a subtle alteration of the weave distinguishes the lower edge of the face from the neck.
provenance
Walters Art Museum, 1958, by purchase.
date
4th-5th century (Early Byzantine)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Textiles
tapestries
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
17
height
17
dimensionsRaw
H: 6 11/16 x W: 6 11/16 in. (17 x 17 cm)
Source extras
cul
Coptic
med
wool and linen
creator_ids
6182
collection_ids
BYZ
TAF
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
bb9d12167d1030d4