Human Head from a Large Curtain

Description

Distinguished by a halo, this unidentified person wears a jeweled cap encrusted with pearls alternating with other gems, possibly emeralds. The cap is similar to what the Greeks called a Phyrgian cap, worn by people from Central Asia. The fragment originally belonged to an all-woolen curtain or hanging. Fabrics woven entirely with wool were the most costly and admired.

Provenance

Mrs. Paul Mallon, Paris.

Human Head from a Large Curtain

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300s CE

Accession Number

1982.301

Medium

tapestry weave, wool

Dimensions

Overall: 17 x 31 cm (6 11/16 x 12 3/16 in.)

Classification

Textile

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund