Ancient Egyptian textile fragment from Illahun dated AD 395 – 642

Coarse linen, ends of warp turned in and stitched to form a cable edge. Vertical band and cross band embroidered with coloured wools in diamond and cross designs.
Plain weave with ‘fringe’. Open woven warp edge with two thicker threads twisted and worked into the weave along the base edge. There are eight warps and seven wefts per centimetre. The embroidery is in blocks of colour with two threads worked over three warps. The design is simple diamonds with border to each side in blue, pink, yellow, green, red.

Ancient Egyptian textile fragment from Illahun dated AD 395 – 642

Object details

  • Reference: BOLMG:1911.63.5
  • Material: linen wool
  • Period: Coptic Period
  • Excavator: W.M.F. Petrie
  • Dated: AD 395 - 642
  • Object name: textile fragment
  • Dimensions: Length: 573mm , Width: 405mm
  • Published references: A similar group in the Whitworth Art Gallery, exhibited and published by F. Pritchard, Clothing Culture (2006)
  • Site: Illahun
  • Latitude: 29.233333
  • Longitude: 30.966667