538 - Large Egyptian Coptic Textile Shoulder Fragment of a Man's Military Tunic with Clavus and Orbiculus. Circa 5th-6th century A.D. Large section of a shoulder from a man's tunic in wool on linen, decorated with a long purple clavus featuring geometric squares and a purple orbiculus on the shoulder; tapestry, weave braids with right-angled borders. Cf. Rutschowscaya, M.H., Tissus Coptes, Paris, 1990, p.52, for a complete example of such tunics, in Louvre inv.no.E 26738 A, dated to 398- 641 A.D.; for Roman military tunics cf. D'Amato, R., Roman Military Clothing (3), AD 400-640, Oxford, 2005, pp.7ff. 233 grams total including paper folder, 82 cm (32 1/4 in.). [No Reserve]

Large Egyptian Coptic Textile Shoulder Fragment of a Man's Military Tunic with Clavus and Orbiculus. Circa 5th-6th century A.D. Large section of a shoulder from a man's tunic in wool on linen, decorated with a long purple clavus featuring geometric squares and a purple orbiculus on the shoulder; tapestry, weave braids with right-angled borders. Cf. Rutschowscaya, M.H., Tissus Coptes, Paris, 1990, p.52, for a complete example of such tunics, in Louvre inv.no.E 26738 A, dated to 398- 641 A.D.; for Roman military tunics cf. D'Amato, R., Roman Military Clothing (3), AD 400-640, Oxford, 2005, pp.7ff. 233 grams total including paper folder, 82 cm (32 1/4 in.). [No Reserve] Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. The tunic was decorated in purple with opus phrygium embroidery. This corresponds to the iconography of military tunics for 5th-7th century Roman soldiers. The archaeological evidence from the desert cemeteries of Egypt offers striking confirmation of pictorial sources on late Roman clothing around the empire. TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.