From the Byzantine into the Islamic period, tunics woven with sleeves were the primary clothing for men and women. This winter-weight woolen tunic was considered luxurious because of its red color and its purple tapestry-woven decorations at the neck, on the shoulders and sleeves, and above the hemline in front and back. The geometric imagery in the roundels displays braided knots that were believed to protect the wearer from harm. Small figures appear near the neck and figures on horseback decorate the sleeves.
The tunic was woven to its exact size and shape-it was not cut out of a larger piece of fabric. The ornaments were woven in the plain ground while the tunic was still on the loom, rather than being made separately and applied later. The tunic's owner repaired it on the left side and also shortened it nearly two inches by sewing a fold around the waist where some of the original sewing thread remains. Buried in a grave, the tunic shows signs of discoloration and deterioration.
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<P>From the Byzantine into the Islamic period, tunics woven with sleeves were the primary clothing for men and women. This winter-weight woolen tunic was considered luxurious because of its red color and its purple tapestry-woven decorations at the neck, on the shoulders and sleeves, and above the hemline in front and back. The geometric imagery in the roundels displays braided knots that were believed to protect the wearer from harm. Small figures appear near the neck and figures on horseback decorate the sleeves. </p><p>The tunic was woven to its exact size and shape-it was not cut out of a larger piece of fabric. The ornaments were woven in the plain ground while the tunic was still on the loom, rather than being made separately and applied later. The tunic's owner repaired it on the left side and also shortened it nearly two inches by sewing a fold around the waist where some of the original sewing thread remains. Buried in a grave, the tunic shows signs of discoloration and deterioration.</p>
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