As the Classical age drew to a close,
the flowering of Christian Egypt
produced a remarkable textile art. This
tunic decoration, called a clavus,
depicts motifs that are both pagan and
Christian, a mixing of imagery not
uncommon in Late Antiquity. A saint,
apostle or evangelist, his head
surrounded with a nimbus, shares space
with flying spirits and wild beasts.
Such a colorful masterpiece of the
weaver's art seems to sum up the
vitality, the vivid excitement of the
age that created it.
- (P.4489)
|
