Hanging Showing Euthenia in a Garden
Roman Period
Not on view
This rare painting shows the goddess of abundance and prosperity, Euthenia, lounging in a pavilion set in a lush garden. She rests on a sphinx and holds a bowl in her hand. Her image appears on coins, monuments, and terracotta lamps into the early Byzantine era (fourth to seventh century). Stylistically, the textile belongs to a naturalistic painting tradition that evolved in the classical world and continued into the early Byzantine era. The textile was likely painted in a city called Panopolis, which was located on the east bank of the Nile in Middle Egypt. Many famous Greek-speaking poets and artists lived in this vibrant artistic and cultural center, and the Euthenia textile attests to the multicultural, creative community there.