Coptic textile Byzantine Period; 4th–5th Century C.E.

Kapati Textile
Byzantine Period; 4th–5th Century C.E.
Materials: Plant and Animal Fibers, Wool 9,5 x 9,5 cm This woolen fabric is woven in the traditional Coptic Kapati style, characteristic of Egypt during the Christian era. The name "Kapati" refers to the Copts of Egypt and describes a weaving technique that does not use embroidery or printing. It is said that Al-Muqawqis, the governor of Egypt, offered the Prophet garments made from Kapati fabric. At the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, the French archaeologist Albert Gayet showcased the results of his excavations from the winter of 1898-1899. Around one hundred Coptic textiles and fragments were displayed at the Palais du Costume. Their aesthetic generated considerable enthusiasm, particularly among artists like Auguste Rodin and Henri Matisse. This led to a "Coptomania," which, among other things, influenced fashion designers. The square fragment features black decoration on a beige background; the two squares at the center are separated by scalloped edges, from which hang various ornaments or geometric motifs. At the center of the fragment is an image of a dancing figure surrounded by geometric decorations. This piece dates back to a time when ancient...

Cerberus Black painted stone Italy, 17th century Measures: 80 x 69 x 36cm (one head missing) Cerberus, cruel monster, fierce and strange, Through his wide threefold throat barks as a dog Over the multitude immers'd beneath. His eyes glare crimson, black his unctuous beard, His belly large, and claw'd the hands, with which He tears the spirits, flays them, and their limbs Piecemeal disparts (Dante, Inferno, Canto VI). Cerberus figure seated, in his role of ferocious guardian of the underworld; he shows a nervous musculature, an adherent skin which reveals the ribs, long and robust limbs; his heads are broad and the eyes set well apart. Painted in black to amplify his menacing look, the infernal guardian is depicted with his famous attributes, writhing his heads, growling and barking furiously. Cerberus, in Greek mythology, was the monstrous watchdog of the underworld – also known as the “hound of Hades” – preventing the dead from leaving, and making sure that those who entered never left. A child of Typhon and Echidna, he was part of a monstrous family, which included Orthus, the Lernaean Hydra, and the Chimaera as well. Only on three occasions Cerberus was tricked by visitors of Hades: Heracles did it with his strength, Orpheus with his music. In "The Inferno", Dante places Cerberus as the guardian of the third circle of Hell. With his three mouths, Dante saw Cerberus as a beast that was synonymous with the sin of Gluttony. Virgil gets past the monster by throwing mud in his three mouths, temporarily choking him. Very rare are the representations of Cerberus in ancient statuary...

Finely woven of wool and linen, this large, ancient, museum level Coptic textile depicts figures derived from classical antiquity, some playing musical ...

Impressive pre-columbian Lambayeque textile ceremonial panel. Lambayeque, Peru. Mint condition. Museum piece. Ex. Sotheby’s, New York. The Lambayeque civilization (aka Sicán) flou...