Figure of a Woman
Not on view
Found in a tomb, this brightly painted statuette displays typical Byzantine dress. Under a sheer overgarment indicated in gray paint, the woman wears an elaborate tunic with richly colored clavi (bands) extending to her feet. Metallic paint is used to show that the cross around her neck is made of gold. Textiles like the one she wears were preserved in burials in Egypt’s dry soil and were on the art market beginning in the late nineteenth century.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.