Fragments of a cloak BM EA72262

Find spot (context): Qasr Ibrim (Sudanese Nubia). Church 1, North Crypt, Burial (of Bishop Timotheos) B12 (funerary). Textile register QI.T.36a,b,c,d,x.

Dating: Late Christian Period/ Mamlouk Dynasty (1372-1400 CE).

Present location: British Museum, London. Inventory number EA72262.

Dimensions (in cm): 30x13 (max).

Weave: Tabby [a, b, c], Tapestry [d].

Decoration: Originally dark blue cloak decorated with a silk tapestry panel sewn to the back of the bishop's cloak, just below the shoulders. The hood was lined with turquoise silk. The cloak was lined with red cotton fabric and hemmed with turquoise silk.

Warp (fibre, twist, color, proportion):
Cloak's outer layer:
- wool
- Z
- dark blue
- 30 threads/cm

Cloak's lining:
- cotton
- Z
- red
- 13 threads/cm

Lining of the hood + hem of the cloak:
- silk
- slight Z
- turquoise
- 39 threads/cm

Tapestry panel:
- silk
- Z
- ecru
- 18 quadruple threads/cm (=72 threads/cm)

Weft (fibre, twist, color, proportion):

Cloak's outer layer:
- wool
- Z
- dark blue
- 21-22 picks/cm

Cloak's lining:
- cotton
- Z
- red
- 14 picks/cm

Lining of the hood + hem of the cloak:
- silk
- slight Z
- turquoise
- 24 picks/cm

Tapestry panel:
- silk
- Z
- ecru, yellow, black, blue
- 28-30 to 56 picks/c

Other features: Textile [b] has paired warps in the selvedge. Textile [c] has 14 paired warps in the selvedge. The seams joining the cotton lining to the woollen fabric are sewn with a Z-ply blue linen thread. The silk hem is sewn with blue silk thread.

Documentation: British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA72262
Textile seen in January 2017 (MM Wozniak).

Analysis: n.c.

Production: Imported (probably from Egypt).