Textilien des Mittelmeerraumes aus spätantiker bis frühislamischer Zeit
Sabine Schrenk
Textile analysis: Regina Knaller

Textiles from the late Antique to early Islamic periods––from about the third to ninth centuries––have survived mostly in Egypt. However, this need not have been the only place of production. Motif, style and material indicate that some of them were made in Italy or Syria, for example, or in Byzantine workshops, and were exported to Egypt at a later date.
The Abegg-Stiftung’s wealth of late Antique to early Islamic textiles is presented here for the first time in its entirety and impressively illustrates the breadth of this genre. The textiles’ decorations draw thematically on different iconographic and religious traditions, as do other genres of this period. Iconographic and stylistic similarities with Sasanian works of art from Persia demonstrate the economic interrelations and political conditions of the time. Fragments of precious silk weavings––made with silk thread from China during the first centuries of the first millennium––make the luxury of those days tangible. These textiles––as well as costly woollen weavings––allow us to reconstruct the highly developed weaving techniques.
One focus of the catalogue is on the former uses of the textiles, and the many fragments that have been preserved allow reconstruction of covers, furnishing textiles, curtains and especially clothing. In particular the tunic, the most common garment of the age, had a unique method of production. Knowing this allows us to identify many fragments as being from tunics and also goes to show the great diversity of this garment. The splendid large wall hangings represent a branch of luxurious décor which has often been neglected in research to date. These hangings add much to our knowledge of the colourful design and iconographic programs used for the dwellings and representative rooms of the period. The textiles thus prove to be an important source of information on their time.

Excerpt