Woven Interiors: Furnishing Early Medieval Egypt

Catalogue:  August 31, 2019 - January 5, 2020

This exhibition presented 45 exceptional interior textiles from the villas, palaces, churches, mosques, and humble homes of late antique and early medieval Egypt (300–1000). During this period, the eastern Mediterranean experienced profound religious and cultural changes as ancient beliefs transitioned to Christianity and Islam.

These beautiful and rare examples demonstrated how textiles defined spaces and moved ornamental motifs between cultures, over time, and across media. These large-format hangings, covers, and other fabrics were often the most valuable possessions of any household at the time. They served critical physical and social functions alongside more permanent architectural forms. In addition to revealing textiles’ importance and use, Woven Interiors also documented continuities and changes in weaving and aesthetics.

The exhibition was co-organized with Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection who simultaneously presented its own exhibition Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion. The shows featured artworks from The Textile Museum Collection and Dumbarton Oaks, together with loans from other major collections, including: Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Cleveland Museum of Art; and Art Institute of Chicago.

Paperback

ISBN:  9780874050400

137 pages, 56 color prints

Dimension:  11” X 9”