The Metropolitan Museum of Art Clothing*Egyptian Antinopolis Mosaic-Pattern Oversize Ruana

The Striking Geometric Motif On This Stylish Oversize Ruana Is Informed By A Brilliantly Colored And Patterned Rug Fragment Said To Be From Antinopolis. This Ancient City Was Founded In Egypt By The Roman Emperor Hadrian And Named After His Ill-Fated Companion, Antinous, Who Drowned In The Nile Nearby. Now In The Museum’S Holdings, This 4Th–5Th-Century Textile Is A Rare Example Of An Early Floor Covering. The Design Is Directly Linked To Decorative Floor Patterns On Christian Mosaics Found Throughout The Southern And Eastern Mediterranean, While The Cut-Loop Technique Used To Craft It Had Been Popular In Egypt For Centuries.