Fragment of a Cover
Not on view
The rich variety of complex interlaces on this magnificent textile recalls the patterned floor mosaics that decorated buildings through the Roman and early Byzantine worlds. The large square with two attached semicircles suggests the floor plan of a basilica, a type of long hall. Basilicas, known across the Roman Empire but found most frequently in Italy, the western provinces, and North Africa, served various social, economic, and judicial functions. Many early churches adopted this architectural form.
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