Fragmentary Band with Scenes from the Infancy of Christ

Art Historical Context

This exquisite *Fragmentary Band with Scenes from the Infancy of Christ*, dating to the 5th–6th century, offers a rare glimpse into late antique textile artistry. Woven from wool, linen, and silk in a sophisticated warp-faced compound twill—a complex technique that creates rich, reversible patterns with a glossy sheen—this narrow band (3 3/4 × 21 3/4 in.) captures pivotal moments from Christ's early life: the Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds. These vivid scenes, rendered in a linear, narrative style typical of early Christian iconography, unfold in a continuous frieze, ev...