Inspired by new exhibitions on the fashion and furnishings of early medieval Egypt, this colloquium features new research from five distinguished scholars that will challenge your concepts of these ancient textile artworks. The program also includes curator-led tours of both exhibitions and a first look at the new Cotsen Textile Traces Study Center. Presented in partnership with the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.

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Friday, November 8, 3–5 PM

Dumbarton Oaks Museum
1703 32nd Street, NW

Curator Tour: Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion

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Saturday, November 9, 9 AM–4 PM

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

701 21st Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

Presentations

Wool as a Medium for Prestige Goods Along “The Silk Road” (First to Sixth Centuries CE)
Thelma K. Thomas, associate professor of fine arts, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

Materials and Techniques in Late Antique Furnishing Textiles from Egypt
Kathrin Colburn, conservator, Department of Textile Conservation, Metropolitan Museum of Art

You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile: Humor in “Coptic” Textiles
Warren T. Woodfin, Kallinikeion Associate Professor of Byzantine Studies, Queens College, City University of New York

The Evidence for Textiles in Church Treasuries
Jennifer L. Ball, associate professor of Byzantine art history, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York

An Introduction to Textiles from Early Medieval Egypt from the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection
Lyssa C. Stapleton, curator, Cotsen Collections

Curator Tours
Woven Interiors: Furnishing Early Medieval Egypt, and late antique textiles in the Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection

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Registration

Rates: $35/museum members; $65/public. Advance registration is required; space is limited. Register online or call 202-994-7394. 

Select space is reserved for GW students, faculty, and staff; to register, please contact Lori Kartchner at loriak@gwu.edu.