Fragment with Two Vines

Two inwoven tapestry woven bands run across this textile. The bands take the form of thick undulating vines with grape leaves occurring at regular intervals. Each leaf is preceded and followed by two or three grapes. Light dots run along the center of each vine. The tapestry bands are separated by a section of plain woven linen. The linen warps run perpendicular to the direction of the bands. The vines are created with purple wool and undyed linen wefts. The bands are set fairly close together, and so probably do not represent the clavi of a tunic. The textile may come from a furnishing—purple stripes were favorite motifs for furnishing textiles since Greek and Roman times—or another form of garment like a shawl. Furnishings from the domestic environment were often repurposed to wrap a body in a burial, and the staining on this textile confirms this use.