Architectural Fragment with Relief Carving
5th–6th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
16.5 × 64.5 × 4.5 cm (6 1/2 × 25 1/2 × 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
architectural fragment
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
86646
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The shallow relief and energetic intertwining of plants and animals in this wooden beam are typical of Coptic art from Egypt at this time. The animated figures of a dog, a fox, and two rabbits are enclosed in medallions. The animals face each other in pairs, and the space around them is filled with floral designs. This fragment was once part of an architectural structure, most likely a door, a window, or the beam of a ceiling.
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....