tunic decoration showing Alexander
Textile Museum, Washington
Geography Syria Culture Greco-Roman Date 7th century Style Late Antique Materials wool; linen Classification Textile Dimensions 33.50 L x 32.50 W cm (13 3/16 L x 12 25/32 W in) Structure tapestry weave, slit; eccentric weft; weft-wrapping; soumak Collection The Textile Museum Collection Accession Number 11.18 Credit Line Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1948
Referenced as Plate XCVI. Vol 2, after p.272, The military technology of classical Islam by David Nicolle
Embroidery, 7th century, Coptic (Textile Museum, Washington)
Also referenced as Fig. 137. Wool and linen embroidery, 7th century AD, Coptic, Textile Museum, Washington (Akad).
Vol. 2. p.287: Meanwhile, Coptic visual sources show the troops of Egypt to be basically Byzantine in their equipment, though with minor local variations. The Iranian sword-belt does not, for example, appear. On the other hand the originally Iranian scabbard-slide, long hilt and fundamentally Central Asian angled pommel do. One possible local variation may be the wearing of the scabbard across the back (Fig. 14). This seems to reappear in 9th and 10th century Coptic manuscripts (Figs. 143 and 145). As elsewhere in the Middle East, the long, round-ended sword-blade grew in popularity towards the end of the pre-Islamic period (Figs. 18, 137 and 141) and, given the uncertain dating of much Coptic art, may in fact have resulted from the Muslim conquest. Such uncertain dating is a particular problem in Egypt.
