Child's Tunic
Unknown Artist
5th–6th century
Medium
Linen, wool
Dimensions
Max. H. 26 1/16 in. (66.2 cm) Max. W. 27 15/16 in. (71 cm)
Classification
Textiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George F. Baker, 1890
Accession Number
90.5.865
Art Historical Context
This delicate Child's Tunic, crafted from linen and wool in the 5th–6th, offers a poignant glimpse into daily life during Late Antiquity. Measuring about 26 inches tall and 28 inches wide, it was designed for a young child, likely in Egypt or the surrounding Mediterranean region, where such garments were everyday wear. As a textile classified in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art, it bridges the late Roman, Coptic Christian, and early Islamic worlds, the continuity of craftsmanship in a time of cultural transition. The tunic's materials—lightweight linen for the body and durable woo...