Roundel
Object name
Date made
7th-8th century
Place made
Description
A roundel taken from a 7th-8th-century Coptic weaving featuring multiple haloed figures.
Content description
This roundel or medallion, an example of Coptic weaving from 7th or 8th-century Egypt, was likely part of a larger object, perhaps a garment. The roundel was later sewn onto a linen backing and obtained by textile collector Georgina Grove. The roundel's warp is undyed linen and the weft is dyed wool. Later undyed linen thread is used to secure the medallion to the linen background. The roundel is framed by a frieze of geometric motifs in red, white, green, sand, blue, and brown. A small border of white thread separates this geometric border from the central scene.
In this central scene are four figures with halos, three of whom are dressed in similar sand coloured coats trimmed with red. The fourth wears a blue coat with sand coloured clothes below. The three figures grouped on the viewer's left appear to be pointing at a fourth figure, who stands facing them. His hand is raised and contains two round objects, possibly stones. Above this is a detached head with no halo. The stone-holding figure and the two leftmost figures wear yellow halos, while the figure below the detached head has a blue halo. The figures' facial details, hands, and feet are woven in brown with a bleached wool for skin tones. The background of the scene is blue with red and yellow motifs dotted throughout.
It is possible that this roundel features a depiction of a moment from The David Cycle, scenes from the life of the biblical figure David. Images of The David Cycle are common to this period in Egypt and roundels like this were thought to be attached to clothing. This scene perhaps represents David with his stone and Goliath's severed head. If this is the case, there is a possibility that the red spots represent Goliath's blood.
This woven roundel represents the oldest item in the Royal School of Needlework's collection. It is housed within the Grove Book, a collection of textile pieces gathered by Georgina Grove while she travelled around Europe and India with her husband, Brigadier General Edward Aickin William Stewart Grove, in the late 19th century. The Grove Book was given to the RSN upon Georgina's death in 1924.
In this central scene are four figures with halos, three of whom are dressed in similar sand coloured coats trimmed with red. The fourth wears a blue coat with sand coloured clothes below. The three figures grouped on the viewer's left appear to be pointing at a fourth figure, who stands facing them. His hand is raised and contains two round objects, possibly stones. Above this is a detached head with no halo. The stone-holding figure and the two leftmost figures wear yellow halos, while the figure below the detached head has a blue halo. The figures' facial details, hands, and feet are woven in brown with a bleached wool for skin tones. The background of the scene is blue with red and yellow motifs dotted throughout.
It is possible that this roundel features a depiction of a moment from The David Cycle, scenes from the life of the biblical figure David. Images of The David Cycle are common to this period in Egypt and roundels like this were thought to be attached to clothing. This scene perhaps represents David with his stone and Goliath's severed head. If this is the case, there is a possibility that the red spots represent Goliath's blood.
This woven roundel represents the oldest item in the Royal School of Needlework's collection. It is housed within the Grove Book, a collection of textile pieces gathered by Georgina Grove while she travelled around Europe and India with her husband, Brigadier General Edward Aickin William Stewart Grove, in the late 19th century. The Grove Book was given to the RSN upon Georgina's death in 1924.
Dimensions
width: 13cm
height: 10cm
width: 17cm
height: 15cm
height: 10cm
width: 17cm
height: 15cm
Materials
Motifs
Credit line
Gift of Brigadier General Edward Grove, 1924.
Catalogue number
COL.1924.20.Grove.1
Other numbers
RSN 1346
© Royal School of Needlework