Two Figures Framed by a Jeweled Border
Unknown Artist
450–550 CE
Medium
wool, linen, and dye
Dimensions
24.1 × 28.6 cm · mounted: 33 × 37.5 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1979.58
About this artwork
This weaving depicts a haloed man and woman. However, it once had a third figure at left. The textile was damaged before its 1979 acquisition; only the third figure’s partial halo and shoes remained. Staff decided to “close the gap” around the missing area and remove the shoes. While creating a “complete” image, that removal affects our ability to understand the weaving’s subject. Many questions remain: Who are the man and woman? His red cap may identify him as an “Easterner” or a freeman. Who w...