Human Head from a Large Curtain
Unknown Artist
300s CE
Medium
tapestry weave, wool
Dimensions
17 × 31 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1982.301
About this artwork
Distinguished by a halo, this unidentified person wears a jeweled cap encrusted with pearls alternating with other gems, possibly emeralds. The cap is similar to what the Greeks called a Phyrgian cap, worn by people from Central Asia. The fragment originally belonged to an all-woolen curtain or hanging. Fabrics woven entirely with wool were the most costly and admired.