Karanis / Wool

About this Item

Record Details

Object Identifier

0000.01.2772

Other Number

Midgley 24.151.016

Type of Number

Catalogue Number

Lot

University of Michigan excavation (Karanis) Undetermined date

Collections

Kelsey Permanent Artifact Collections

Object Type

Textiles

Materials

Wool

Length

A - 31.5

B - 29

C - 3

D - 14.5;

Width

;A - 27

B - 10.5 C - 12.5

D - 9.5

Height

;

Thickness

;

Weight

;

Inscribed

no

Full Artifact Description

Three pieces of woven wool fabric that have been sewn together.

Fragment A - beige warp with a red band and two divided weft bands as follows:

red tiny remnant

beige 2 cm

green/blue 6 picks

beige 4 picks

beige 26 cm

green/blue 4 picks

beige 3 picks

green/blue 5 picks

beige 1.5 cm

red 0.5 cm

There is also a badly damaged section of green/blue tapestry only visible on one side. The tapestry is approximately 10 cm warp-wise and at least 4 cm weft-wise. There are a few linen wefts in the tapestry.

Fragment B - beige warp and weft

Fragment C - beige warp and weft with green/blue weft band, mostly folded under. If laid flat, fragment C would be 6.5 cm warp-wise and the green band is 4 cm wide. Warp is at right angles to the other fragments.

Fragment D - beige warp and weft

Unit Grid Number

5016

Component/Room

00A

Area

R

Verbatim Provenance

Egypt

Verbatim Site

Karanis

Countermark

no

Condition Notes

Very dirty, with some encrusted mud. There are small interior holes in all three fragments and a large hole in fragment B. There are large edge tears in fragments A and B. There are some small felted pieces between fragments A and B. Most edges are frayed.

Fabric Structure

Weft faced plain weave. Fragment A - also has slit and/or dove-tail tapestry.

Structure Details

There is a 1.5 cm long rib on fragment A, near one set of divided bands, with three warps used as one.

Border Type

none

Selvedge Type

none

Sewing

Fragment D was folded along three edges and sewn to fragment A with overcast stitches that encircle D’s edge. These stitches measure from 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm long. There is an overhand knot along one edge. Fragment B was attached to A on top of D with several rows of stitching. A row of running stitches goes along an edge that was not folded. These stitches measure from 0.4 cm to 0.6 cm. At one end of this row, B was folded on an angle and sewn with overcast stitches that encircle the edge. These stitches measure from 0.2 cm to 0.4 cm long. At the end of this row, B was folded under, weft-wise and sewn with the same yarn, overcast stitches. At the opposite end, fragment A was folded and sewn to B with overcast stitches that encircle the edge of A. These stitches measure from 0.2 cm to 0.4 cm long. There are long stitches in two colors of yarn along the torn edge of fragment A; the beige stitches are 0.9 cm to 1.3 cm long, the only intact yellow stitch is 1.5 cm long; there is one 0.5 cm long beige stitch along the opposite edge, also. There is a 4-ply yarn that just pierces the fabric and has an overhand knot at one end near part of the red band. Fragment C was folded on three sides and sewn with overcast stitches that measure from 0.2 cm to 0.4 cm long. There are some very damaged overcast stitches along a torn edge of the green tapestry section of fragment A and a folded section of the beige area of fragment A. The stitches may have formed a rough oval originally. They measure from 0.2 cm to 0.4 cm long. There are also some coarser stitches along the edge of the tapestry, these measure from 0.5 cm to 1 cm long. Most of the above stitches are probably from the same yarn.

Yarn #

12772.WA.01;12772.WE.01;12772.WE.02;12772.WE.03;12772.WE.04;12772.WA.02;12772.WE.05;12772.WA.03;12772.WE.06;12772.WE.07;12772.WA.04;12772.WE.08;12772.YN.01;12772.YN.02;12772.YN.02

Function

warp - fragment A;weft - fragment A;weft - fragment A, tapestry and divided bands;weft - fragment A;weft - fragment A;warp - fragment B;weft - fragment B;warp - fragment C;weft - fragment C;weft - fragment C;warp - fragment D;weft - fragment D;sewing - most of the attachments;sewing - long stitches at divided band, frag. A;sewing - long stitches at divided band, frag. A

Color

beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);dark green/blue (546);dull red (484);pale beige (OISH);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);dark green/blue (546);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);beige (465 dull);off white/yellowed (OITHL)

Yarns/cm

9;36;40 (one count only);too few for accurate count;too few for accurate count;12;40;9;42;42;10;36;;;

Structure

single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single;single, used doubled;single, used doubled;single, used doubled

Spin

s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s;s

Twist Level

high;med;med;med;med;high;varies, med - low;high;med;med;high;med;high;high;low

Fiber

wool;wool;wool;wool;flax;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool;wool

Type Category

Textile

Technical Details

Collection

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology Art & Artifact Collection

Image Size

1945 x 1690

File Size

313 KB

Record

0000.01.2772

Link to this Item

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kelsey/x-0000.01.2772/0000_01_2772p01.tif content_copy

Related Links

IIIF

Manifest

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/kelsey:0000.01.2772:0000_01_2772P01.TIF content_copy