Fragment of Decorative Band or Clavus with Dancing Figures and Fringe
600
Physical Qualities
Wool, 20-1/2 x 5-1/2 in. (52.1 x 14 cm.)
Credit Line
The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland
Object Number
1950.1994.1
Long narrow tapestry-woven band, probably a partial clavus from a tunic. The band is divided visually into five vertical stripes. The inner stripe features dancers in two varieties of dress, one possibly nude or wearing fitted clothing, and the other wearing a stiff skirt. Both wear headdresses or have elaborate coiffures. These dancers are arranged in a single vertical column, alternating with a plant design that branches in two directions. The next stripes out from the center on either side feature fish motifs. These designs are worked in natural wefts with green and red eccentric weft accents on a field of dull purplish brown, faded into blue-gray at the bottom. The outer two stripes feature complex ornamental border patterns woven in dark threads (purple to blue-gray) on a natural ground. This design is sometimes referred to as"pearls on pegs"
The borders of this piece are uneven on three sides (the most jagged at the top). The lower border is finished with a short (1" or less) purplish weft fringe. The textile is split-tapestry woven with weft-faced tabby binding and frequent use of eccentric weft detail.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1950; Etta Cone.
Anita Jones, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Timeless Weft: Ancient Tapestries and the Art of Louise B. Wheatley, February 1–July 30, 2017.