Large Coptic Textile

Culture: Egyptian

Period: ca. 400 A.D.

Material: Textile

Dimensions: 39 cm x 7.5 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 1045

Provenance: Swiss private collection S.O.S., acquired in the 1970s.

Condition: Detailed depiction, framed behind glass.

Description: Rare Coptic textile with opulent depiction. Apart from grape vines, a dog with a red collar, a swimmer and a deer can be seen. The trailing grape vines were later copied by the Byzantines for their famous mosaics. The dog is a symbol originating from the ancient Egyptian tradition, where God Anubis was responsible for the transfer of the deceased to the kingdom of the dead. The bright red collar was interpreted as victory of virtue against evil. The swimmer symbolizes the deceased on his way to the other world, full of vitality and energy. Very interesting is the deer, traditionally the symbol of Christ. In the 4th century Ambrosius of Milan explained in the following description: “Christ arrived in this world in the form of a deer and jumped over snakes and the devil. And we will be such deers when we follow Jesus.”