Object Information

Coptic
Egypt

Portion of Hanging with Warrior, 5th/6th century

Linen and wool, plain weave with weft uncut pile and embroidered linen pile formed by variations of back and stem stitches
136.5 x 88.3 cm (53 3/4 x 34 3/4 in.)
Grace R. Smith Textile Endowment, 1982.1578

Among the earliest items in the collection is a portion of a hanging with warrior, made by Christian Egyptians, or Copts, in the fifth or sixth century. Flanked by columns and surmounted by an arch, the boldly outlined figure is striking in its frontality, solemn expression, and animated side glance; all these details relate the hanging to early Christian icons. The piece is also distinguished by its large size and brilliant color.

Exhibition, Publication and Ownership Histories

Exhibition History

The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, "Gift, Bequest and Purchase: A Selection of Textile Acquisitions from 1982–1987," March 18–August 14, 1989

The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, "European Textile Masterpieces from Coptic Times through the 19th Century," September 27, 1989–January 22, 1990

The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, "Textile Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago's Collection,"
February 17–May 2, 1993

The Art Institute of Chicago, Ancient Art Gallery 153, April 7–July 13, 1994

The Art Institute of Chicago, Gallery 141, “Devotion and Splendor: Medieval Art at the Art Institute of Chicago,” September 20, 2004–January 4, 2005

Publication History

Ernest Kühnel. Islamische Stoffe aus Aegyptischen Grabern (Berlin: Verlag Ernst Wasmuth, 1927).

G. Broer. "Koptische Stoffe (Kleine Schriften 12)". Berlin: Staatliche Museen, 1966.

"The Art Institute of Chicago Annual Report 1982/83", fig. 23. p.18.

Christa C. Mayer Thurman. "Some Major Textile Acquisitions from Europe and Egypt." Museum Studies, Vol. II, No. I (Fall 1984). pp. 52-69.

Hali Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2 (April/May/June 1985).

The Art Institute of Chicago: The Essential Guide (Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1993), p. 223 (Illus.).

Textiles in The Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1992), pp. 10-11 (Illus.), 143.