Ornamental Shoulder Bands from a Tunic

Description

[Egypt, Byzantine period] This fragment shows human figures including dancers, a hunter, and shepherd under arches alternating with animals such as dogs, rabbits, and a lion. The orientation of the figures indicates that these vertical bands were once part of a tunic. The decorative bands would have descended from the shoulders. Since the mid-3rd century tunics were the main garments worn in Egypt which was then part of the Roman Empire.