A Re–Evaluation of a Hooded Tunic at the Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum comprises a fine collection of Late Antique textiles, covering a period that extends roughly from the 3^rd to the 10^th Century AD. The focus of this paper is set on a virtually complete child’s tunic with hood, which stands out for a number of reasons: 1. the examination of its subject matter and workmanship gives an impressive idea of the textile production in Egypt; 2. the stylistic analysis attests to the tenacity of the classical Hellenic tradition in the early Byzantine era. A full description of the garment is presented here, the weaving procedure and the type of loom used. For the scope of this study and in order to place the results in a broader historical and comparative context, the content of papyri from the Hellenistic–Roman Period was carefully examined.