Dress

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of 4th-century Egypt with this remarkable Coptic dress, a survivor from the early Christian. Crafted from linen and wool—staple fibers in ancient textile—this garment measures 21⅝ × 39⅜ inches (55 × cm), likely a tunic or wrap designed for everyday secular wear. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1933, it now graces the Medieval Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art offering a tangible link to Coptic life. Coptic textiles like this one flourished in Roman- and Byzantine-influenced Egypt, where dry tomb conditions preserved them exceptionally well. Dating to th...