Medallion, fragment of a Coptic tunic, 6th century
MediumLinen, wool
(H x W)24,5 x 25,8 cm
Status
not on displayThis decorative piece was part of the decoration of a Coptic tunic, which was used to clothe the dead. It is one of the many grave finds made by German archaeologists in southern Egypt towards the end of the 19th century. The depiction shows Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, with a drinking vessel in his right hand, surrounded by two hunting scenes. All of those depicted are wearing a halo. This so-called nimbus was regarded as a symbol of power and the divine both in antiquity and in Christianity. The Coptic ethnic group is one of the first early Christian religious communities to have lived in the Egyptian Nile Valley since the 1st century AD.
Accession
Acquired 1927 from the Kunstgewerbemuseum
Provenance[...]; bis 1887 Dr. Franz Johann Joseph Bock, Kanonikus, Geistlicher und Kunsthistoriker (Aachen-Burtscheid 1823-1899 Aachen); 1887-1927 ehem. Kunstgewerbemuseum Düsseldorf (1883-1927) angekauft von Bock; 1927 übernommen aus dem KunstgewerbemuseumInventory numberP 12790
Contact
sammlung@kunstpalast.de