Berenike BE99 1527 Cotton sleeping mat with two-sided pile, s/s
Catalogue number
BE99 1527
Inventory number
0699 I
Description
Triangular piece of carpet with pile on both sides in one area and reinforced selvedge.
Heavy cotton sleeping mat with two-sided pile of Ghiordes knots
Context
Basic information
Dimensions
L.
90
mm
W.
120
mm
Preservation state
organic
Object type
matting
Relative quality
fine
Fabric structure
tabby
Warp and weft identified
✓
| System 1 | System 2 | Warp 2 | Suppl. yarn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | cotton | cotton | ||
| Fibre identification method | naked eye | naked eye | ||
| Colour | ||||
| Yarn structure | single | single | ||
| Twist strength | medium | weak | ||
| Twist | s | s | ||
| Twist angle average | ||||
| Twist angle range | ||||
| Diameter average | ||||
| Diameter range | ||||
| Thread count average | 9.0 | 10.0 | ||
| Thread count range |
FURTHER DETAILS
Pattern
Dividing line between undecorated and piled surface is at least 200mm from one end of triangle, 170mm from the other (see drawing). Found folded to apex of triangle, roughly parallel to edge of decoration and c. 15mm away from it (not exactly parallel).
Pile: pile knots are At Tar A1 = Ghiordes, one row giving pile on one side, an adjacent row giving pile on the other (see drawing) Difficult to be absolutely sure. At one point, each pile knot was analysed as containing only 4 threads (Z spun, not twisted or plied). Where pile is thicker elsewhere, there seem to be 8 threads in each knot, possibly working as 2 bundles of 4, but knot end (i.e. of 16 ends) emerges in just one spot, Ghiordes fashion. Pairs of rows seem to run adjacent to one another, each pair being separated by 4 single shots of the sixfold weft (see drawing). Pile now stands 20mm long and continues right to edge of web, over selvedge. The back to back knots (see drawing) could be, at least in one place, analysed confidently. The structure is such that the floating front of one knot is crushed up against and largely conceals the back of the other knot. (i.e. where it passes over 2 individual warp threads).
Edges
Reinforced selvedge approx. 25 mm wide, based on 3 bundles of 2 warp yarns each, over which weft passes and returns 1/1. There is an extra wrapping thread, probably of 6 yarns working together as in ground weft. One passage of wrapping thread shadows one passage of ground weft in selvedge, apparently; but wrapping threads treat the nearest ordinary 3 warp threads as a bundle in both directions. Selvedge structure appears visually same on both sides (see new drawing).
Other features
Fringed along one side
References
Wild, John Peter, and Felicity C. Wild. “Through Roman Eyes: Cotton Textiles from Early Historic India.” In A Stitch in Time: Essays in Honour of Lise Bender Jørgensen, edited by Sophie Bergerbrant and S. H. Fossøy, 209–35. Gothenburg: University of Gothenburg, 2014.
Wild, John Peter. “The First Indian Carpets – a View from Berenike.” In Drawing the Threads Together: Textiles and Footwear of the First Millennium AD from Egypt: Proceedings of the 7th Conference of the Research Group ‘Textiles from the Nile Valley’, Antwerp, 7-9 October 2011, edited by A. De Moor and C. Fluck, 74–85. Tielt: Lanoo, 2013.
Data recorded by
Felicity Wild and John Peter Wild
Data entered by
Bela Dimova
Date of study
1994-2001
