Looms and Textiles of the Copts: First Millennium Egyptian Textiles in the Carl Austin Reitz Collection of the California Academy of Science

by Diane Lee Carroll

The particular specimens belonging to the Coptic textile corpus that are the focus of attention here were collected by Carl Austin Reitz, presumably purchased during a trip to Egypt in the late 1920s. All specimens are fragments, representing a total of 72 textiles. 25 of the textiles are wool with wood ornamentation, 46 of them are linen with wool and linen ornamentation and 1 is silk. The information relating to Coptic waving uncovered during the course of this investigation will be presented in 7 sections. Section 1 details the technological background inherited by Egyptian weavers. Section 2 presents the available literary and archaeological evidence. Section 3 addresses Greek and Roman influence in the designs. Section 4 speculates on the textile motifs and their change. Section 5 lists historical events affecting Coptic weavers. Section 6 is a catalog of the Carl Austin Reitz Collection. Section 7 is a glossary of terms.

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book at the local library when it first went in to print. Now, years later, I have managed to find a reprinting of it. While the pictures and examples of Coptic weaving are average at best (you can find pictures of Coptic textiles by the bushel in any search) it is the introductory article by Diane Lee Carroll that really shines. The information it gives is rich and detailed and has proven a wonderful resource for my own researches.