Academic literature on the topic 'Coptic art – Egypt'

During the past thirty years the production of two-dimensional images designed to be used in religion has flourished in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt. After generations with little or negligible activity, enterprising ateliers can today be found all over the country.' Many of them are strategically placed in influential convents and monasteries and at important educational institutions. In this production of art, the Section of Coptic Art at the Higher Institute of Coptic Studies in Abbasiya in Cairo occupies a leading position. Under the direction of Professor Isaac Fanous Youssef the section is attempting to develop a Coptic iconography and style — which the Coptic Orthodox Church does not have. Images of Christ, Mary, and the saints are central in Coptic cultic life, but there is a traditional openness to all kinds of styles and the dominant ones are European and Byzantinesque, well-known in both Western and Eastern Christianity. Also other artists are engaged in developing an especially Coptic iconography and style, but Isaac Fanous and his pupils have received the greater attention and also have the support of official church authorities. The primary aim given for images in Coptic religion is that of being tools for communicating with and partaking of the Holy World.' The focus of this paper is on the usages and functions which the images have in Coptic life, in particular how they serve the construction of ethnic consciousness and cohesion of the Copts. Coptic identity is an important issue for the Copts. The images in question are included in a conscious effort to formulate and mediate who the Copts are. Through choice of themes, composition of motifs, and style, the images impart Coptic self-conception.

This text presents to the academic public two so-far unpublished pieces from the collection of Coptic textiles housed at the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade. The aim of this text is to identify the motifs represented on them, as well as to propose a possible iconographic and iconological reading of their imagery. Both pieces of Coptic textile presented here display a number of iconographic subjects typical of Late Antique Egypt such as the Dionysiac thiasus and other subjects related to Dionysos - vines, lions, panthers and other animals, as well as the so-called Coptic horseman. They are typical of the visual idiom which survived from the classical period into Late Antique Coptic Egypt and was taking on new meanings in the context of religious and cultural syncretism.

The present state of the Coptic Orthodox Church in America could not have been imagined fifty years ago. As an integral part of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, the young archdiocese in America evolved from non-existence to a formidable 151 parishes, two monasteries, three seminaries and many benevolent, educational and media organisations. Waves of immigration from Egypt brought not only Copts, but also a wealth of Coptic art, music, architecture, literature and spirituality. These treasures are being preserved and promoted by the immigrants and the second generation; in the homes, churches and community centers; and also at American universities via programs of Coptic studies. This article covers the above topics and discusses a few of the challenges that come with immigration and assimilation, especially when the community desires to maintain the depth and versatility of an ancient religious culture.

Abstract In the current situation, when the majority of the planet is urged to tolerate and accept, to promote peace and respect for other people and theyr choices, and culture, our fellow men in Egypt, Coptic Christians are fighting an unprecedented struggle against oppressors who demolish their churches and try to destroy their faith. Although we are far away physically, we cannot remain indifferent to what is happening to the cultural heritage they are trying to keep alive. This article reminds us of the wonderful artistic treasures found in Coptic culture.

A representative selection of Roman and Coptic textiles is used to compare the radiocarbon dating results with the chronology proposed by art historians. In some cases, the comparison was made on individual objects, but in other cases, groups of stylistically and/or technologically related textiles were compared. In the case of the latter, the interquartile range was calculated. The results of this comparison show that some individual samples and groups are dated older than expected, while for another group the opposite is the case. One group was matching well with the presumed period as a whole, but not on the basis of the individual pieces. The analyses showed the necessity of 14C dating to obtain a more accurate dating of Coptic textiles.

The study of Coptic history usually brings to mind gnostic texts, remote monastic enclaves, archeological ruins, conflicts with Byzantium, or a long-forgotten language. Until recently, a disproportionate focus on early Christianity has bound Copts to an ancient and seemingly timeless heritage, which explains the dearth of critical examinations on Coptic life from the Islamic conquests to the early modern period. In general, Coptic experiences after 641 have been overshadowed by other themes in Egyptian history writing, in particular political and military changes. Although the latter are as relevant for a better understanding of the Coptic past, they have been predominately examined from the perspective of the Muslim majority, exclusive of Coptic concerns, perspectives, and beliefs. Only in recent years has scholarship on Copts begun to expand. Scholars have drawn from fields such as papyrology, gender studies, art history, and law in pursuit of a more comprehensive historical narrative. We are increasingly encouraged to evaluate the Coptic experience not only as a missing cog in Egyptian historiography but also as one that complicates canonical studies of postconquest Egypt and enriches our understanding of Middle Eastern history in general.

Abstract This paper studies Coptic communal identity in early Islamic Egypt by analyzing two hagiographical narratives from the Christian Copto-Arabic text The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria. The narratives relate incidents of sacred images that become ‘aggressive’ when they retaliate against insults. Although the relation between religious violence and sacred art has merited much scholarly attention, the focus is usually on humans as the aggressors and sacred art as the victim. The reverse is scarcer, and its rarity means we miss an opportunity to rethink such narratives as communicative modes of rhetoric to be contextually interpreted. Here I argue that these aggressive sacred images were tools of power within a polemic religious discourse aimed at proclaiming divine truth, undergirding it with supernatural power, and ultimately shaping Coptic communal identity around this discourse.

Egyptian heritage is known to be a result of many great civilizations. With various traditional elements and special features that add prominence to its cultural aspects, it carries magnificent aesthetic values and visual forms. Nonetheless, and due to the different nature of the cities and provinces in Egypt, styles and features in each region have taken different paths. For instance, Ancient Egyptians influenced some areas while others were more affected by Islamic or Coptic civilizations. Some regions were preserved in Nubian folk art heritage form. In the past, the country had a clear and unique identity that reflected its characteristics, environmental benefits and socio-cultural attributes. However, today the identity is faded and is nearly completely wiped by Western notions erasing our ideas, identities, and thoughts. This study focuses on the elements of heritage, their impact on people and the way these elements inspire interior architecture, form and psychology.This study aims to discern the elements of heritage and identify the character and special criteria of each civilization such as the Ancient Egyptian, Islamic and Nubian folk art heritage with special references and clarifications as to the criteria of reviving the traditional identity in contemporary interior design. This study will also include an analysis of user preferences in relation to discussed features.

El presente trabajo concierne las estelas funerarias del Egipto copto y nace de la necesidad que a menudo se observa en el ámbito de los estudios del arte copto, es decir, la organización y la estructuración de un ingente material de proveniencia arqueológica que, siendo casi del todo fuera de contexto, es de difícil encuadramiento cronológico y no más trazable proveniencia. De hecho, las estelas coptas, hacen parte de la gran cantidad de material arqueológico que ha sido penalizado por la moderna investigación arqueológica que, en el caso de Egipto, se había concentrado prevalentemente y/o exclusivamente en los hallazgos de época faraónica, dejando de lado, casi por completo, los testigos de la antigua tradición cristiana. La tradición de las estelas coptas se da, en Egipto, con epitafios en lengua griega y copta. El objeto príncipe de nuestra investigación es el estudio del fenómeno del arte figurativo. En efecto, en muchas estelas, aparecen figuraciones que, en su conjunto, nunca han sido sometidas a una sistemática indagación. Los datos procedentes del estudio de las representaciones, han sido aquí puestos en relación con las epígrafes para una evaluación completa de las piezas y, finalmente, el intento más ambicioso ha sido, el de colocar una producción tan dispersada y fuera de contexto, en un marco cronológico coherente con el fin de clasificar algunas macro áreas de atribución. Los argumentos tratados se desarrollan a lo largo de tres distintos capítulos. El primer capítulo se abre con un párrafo dedicado a la historia de los estudios. El párrafo sucesivo trata de los caracteres generales de la producción: materiales utilizados; marco temporal de atestación; difusión espacial; naturaleza de la documentación; aparato iconográfico, leguas utilizadas y características principales de los epitafios funerarios; peculiaridades de las estelas documentadas en Egipto. Sigue un párrafo de carácter exclusivamente arqueológico. Se examinan aquí pues las estelas funerarias halladas en situ y las estelas utilizadas en contextos secundarios. La primera parte del capítulo se concluye con una descripción de algunas de las principales colecciones de estelas coptas, con una mirada especial a las colecciones italianas. El primer capítulo sigue con el análisis de aquellos conjuntos de estelas que, fechadas antes del siglo IV, pueden ser consideradas como los antecedentes de las estelas coptas: las así dichas estelas de “de los palmireños” de Coptos, de Alejandría, de Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, de Oxirinco/Bahnasa, de Antinoe/Sheikh Abada y de Akoris. El capítulo se concluye con un párrafo dedicado a las nuevas concepciones funerarias introducidas por el Cristianismo en Egipto, subrayando, sin embargo, también aquellos factores de continuidad con la tradición que se quedarán visibles también en la producción de las estelas coptas. También en este caso, el análisis procede de la particular atención reservada al estudio de la documentación arqueológica. El segundo capítulo atañe los aspectos propiamente arqueológicos y vuelve a recorrer la historia de las actividades arqueológicas en los diferentes sitios, con relación al hallazgo de las estelas. En orden geográfico, desde el Delta hasta Asuan, se relatan los descubrimientos de las estelas efectuados en los diferentes sitios. En el tercer capítulo se analizan las figuraciones presentes en las estelas. Este es un aspecto totalmente inédito en el panorama de los estudios de la figuración copta, puesto que, nunca hasta ahora, ha sido tratado en detalle con respecto a la entera documentación de las estelas coptas. Aquí, ha sido posible analizar también todas aquellas estelas – numerosísimas -, privas de la indicación geográfica de procedencia (y por esto excluidas del capítulo precedente), caracterizadas, sin embargo, por un rico y abigarrado repertorio iconográfico. Los elementos figurativos han sido aquí divididos en distintos párrafos y agrupados por tipologías: elementos arquitectónicos; figuras humanas; símbolos; pájaros; mamíferos; elementos acuáticos y marinos; elementos vegetales; diferentes objetos. El tercer capítulo, incluye las conclusiones divididas en tres párrafos principales. En el primer párrafo, se interpretan y analizan las estelas dentro del marco histórico. En el segundo párrafo se examinan las estelas sobre la base del análisis integrado de epitafios e imágenes. En el último párrafo se individúan las principales macro-áreas en las que es posible dividir la documentación copta. Estas, se localizan en el Delta, en el Sinai, en el Fayum, en el Medio y el Alto Egipto. De todas, se ponen en evidencia los caracteres principales y se proporcionan hipótesis de motivaciones históricas.
Il presente lavoro concerne le stele funerarie dell’Egitto copto e prende avvio dalla necessità che spesso si osserva nell’ambito degli studi di arte copta di organizzare e strutturare un ingente materiale di provenienza archeologica, che, essendo quasi del tutto decontestualizzato, appare di difficile inquadramento cronologico, nonché di provenienza non più rintracciabile. Le stele copte sono, infatti, tra i materiali archeologici che sono stati penalizzati dai metodi della moderna ricerca archeologica, che in passato si era prevalentemente concentrata sul materiale di epoca faraonica, tralasciando quasi del tutto le testimonianze di epoca copta. La produzione delle stele si realizza in Egitto con epitaffi sia in greco, sia in copto. Oggetto principale di questa ricerca è lo studio del fenomeno figurativo. In molte stele infatti compaiono raffigurazioni che nel loro insieme non sono mai stati sottoposti a indagine sistematica. I dati provenienti dallo studio delle rappresentazioni sono stati posti in rapporto con le epigrafi in modo da effettuare una valutazione completa dei pezzi. Il tentativo più ambizioso è stato infine quello di collocare una produzione così dispersa e decontestualizzata in un quadro cronologico coerente e di disegnare alcune macroaree di attribuzione. Lo sviluppo degli argomenti è organizzato in tre distinti capitoli. Il primo capitolo si apre con un paragrafo dedicato alla storia degli studi. Il paragrafo successivo tratta dei caratteri generali della produzione: materiali utilizzati, arco temporale di attestazione, diffusione spaziale, natura della documentazione, apparato iconografico, lingue utilizzate e caratteristiche principali degli epitaffi funebri, particolarità delle stele documentate in Egitto. Segue un paragrafo incentrato su dati esclusivamente di natura archeologica. Vengono così trattate le stele funerarie ritrovate in situ e le stele riutilizzate in contesti secondari. La prima parte del capitolo si conclude con una descrizione di alcune delle principali raccolte di stele copte, con particolare attenzione alle raccolte italiane. Il primo capitolo prosegue con l’analisi di quegli insiemi di stele che, datate prima del IV secolo, possiamo considerare come gli antecedenti delle stele copte: le stele dette “dei palmireni” di Coptos, di Alessandria, di Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, di Ossirinco/Bahnasa, di Antinoe/Sheikh Abada e di Akoris. Il capitolo si chiude con paragrafo dedicato alle nuove concezioni funerarie introdotte dal Cristianesimo in Egitto, sottolineando però anche quei fattori di continuità con la tradizione che rimarranno visibili anche nella produzione delle stele copte. Anche in questo caso l’analisi si basa con particolare attenzione sulla documentazione archeologica. Il secondo capitolo è rivolto agli aspetti più propriamente archeologici e ripercorre la storia delle attività archeologiche nei diversi siti collegata al rinvenimento di stele. In ordine geografico, dal Delta sino a Assuan, sono descritti i ritrovamenti di stele effettuati nei diversi siti. Nel terzo capitolo viene affrontata l’analisi delle raffigurazioni che compaiono sulle stele. Si tratta di una tematica mai affrontata in dettaglio per tutta la documentazione delle stele copte. Si sono potute qui trattare anche tutte quelle stele, numerosissime, prive del tutto di indicazione geografica di provenienza, e per questo escluse nel capitolo precedente, ma caratterizzate da un apparto iconografico ricco e variegato. Gli elementi figurativi sono stati divisi in diversi paragrafi raggruppandoli per tipologie: elementi architettonici, figure umane, simboli, uccelli, mammiferi, elementi acquatici e marini, elementi vegetali, oggetti diversi. Il terzo capitolo racchiude le conclusioni, che sono raccolte in tre paragrafi principali. Nel primo paragrafo si interpretano le stele all’interno del quadro storico. Nel secondo paragrafo si interpretano le stele sulla base dell’analisi integrata degli epitaffi e delle immagini. Nell’ultimo paragrafo si individuano le principali macroaree in cui è possibile dividere la documentazione copta. Queste aree vengono individuate nel Delta, nel Sinai, nel Fayum, nel Medio e nell’Alto Egitto. Di tutte vengono evidenziati i caratteri principali e vengono proposte anche delle motivazioni storiche.
This work concerns Egyptian Coptic funeral stelae and arose from the frequently observed need in the field of Coptic art studies for the huge amount of material to be organised and structured for archaeological provenance. Almost all of it is now found out of context, making it difficult to frame chronologically, as well as it being impossible to trace the provenance. Coptic stelae are, in fact, among the archaeological material which has been penalised by modern archaeological research methods, which, ever since the end of the 19th century, have been mainly concentrated on material from the Pharaonic age, omitting almost all evidence of the Coptic period, considered to be less valuable artistically, and, therefore, also historically. The production of stelae in Egypt involved epitaphs in both Greek and Coptic. The principal objective of this investigation was a study of the figurative phenomena, until now rather neglected. In fact, on many stelae there are images of humans, animals, plants, symbols, architectural motifs and various objects which, taken together, have never been systematically studied. The data coming from the study of the representations have been painstakingly placed in relation to the epigraphy in such a way as to effect a complete valuation of the pieces. Finally, the most ambitious attempt has been that of bringing together such a dispersed and decontextualized production into a coherent chronological framework and outlining some macro-areas of attribution. The development of the arguments in this study has been organised into three distinct chapters, structured by paragraph. The first chapter opens with a paragraph dedicated to the history of these studies. The following paragraph deals with the general characteristics of production: materials used, time arc for attestation, spatial diffusion, nature of the documentation, iconographic apparatus, languages used and principal characteristics of the funerary epitaphs, particularity of stelae documented in Egypt. There follows a paragraph centred upon data of a purely archaeological nature. In this way, funerary stelae are dealt with by reference to their burial context, that is seen as an element of the funerary apparatus provided for the burial. The next paragraph is also centred on archaeological themes and deals singly with stelae found in situ and with stelae reused in a secondary context. The first part of this chapter concludes with a description of the principal collections of Coptic stelae, paying particular attention to the stelae conserved in the Italian collections, for which an overview has never been provided. The first chapter follows with an analysis of all the stela which, dated before the IVth century, we can consider to be the antecedents of the Coptic stelae: the ‘Palmyrene’ stelae from Coptos, the Alexandrian stelae, and the stelae from Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, Oxyrhynchus/el-Bahnasa, Antinoe/Sheikh Abada and Akoris. The chapter closes with a paragraph dedicated to the new funerary ideas introduced into Egypt by Christianity, but underlining those factors of continuity with tradition which will also remain visible in the production of Coptic stelae. In this case the analysis pays particular attention to the archaeological documentation. The second chapter is devoted to the more properly archaeological aspects and recounts the history of archaeological activity at the different sites where stelae have been found and these findings of stelae at the different sites have been organised in geographical order, from the Delta as far as Aswan. The third chapter deals with an analysis of the representations which appear on the stelae. This is a subject which has never before been dealt with in detail for all the documentation of Coptic stelae. The numerous stelae without any geographic indication of provenance, but characterised by a rich and variegated iconography, have also been dealt with here – and hence their exclusion in the preceding chapter. The figurative elements have been divided into different paragraphs grouped together by typology: architectural elements, human figures, symbols, birds, mammals, aquatic and marine elements, plant elements, other subjects. The third chapter contains the conclusions, which are collected together in three main paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the stelae are interpreted within the historic frame. In the second paragraph the stelae are interpreted on the basis an integrated analysis of epitaphs and images. In the last paragraph the principal macro-areas into which it is possible to divide Coptic documentation are identified. These areas are in the Delta, in Sinai, in Fayum, and in Middle and Upper Egypt. The principal characteristics of all of them are highlighted and historical motivations are proposed.

Les vestiges de la peinture paléochrétienne funéraire d'Égypte se limitent à un ensemble réduits de décors. Détruites peu après leur découverte, les catacombes de Karmouz à Alexandrie présentaient un riche décor peint dont rien ne reste. A l'ouest de la ville, un tombeau découvert à Wardian offre des peintures qui étonnent par leur caractère mixte. Hors de la cité, le site de Kom Abou-Girgeh révélait un édifice chrétien dont les peintures en partie préservées sont aujourd'hui exposées au Musée gréco-romain. Bien plus loin, aux environs de l'antique Antinoé, derrière le village de Deyr Abou-Hennis, un édifice creusé dans les anciennes carrières conserve les restes d'un riche décor sauvagement mutilé. Au tréfonds du désert Libyque, les ruines du cimetière de Bagawat gardent encore des peintures d'une grande richesse iconographique. Réalisés à plusieurs époques, ces décors peints s'imposent comme les derniers témoins d'un patrimoine disparu et constituent un ensemble indispensable pour l'étude du premier art chrétien en Orient.

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This research aims to demonstrate the process of developing a martyr stereotype for the hermit Copts monks, through which we believe we can analyze the hagiographic representation drawn to these religious, from textual traces found in primary sources Vita Antonii (357) and Vita Pauli (374-379), written, respectively, by Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373) and Jerome of Stridon (347-420), about the desert monks Anthony the Great (251- 356) and Paul of Thebes (228-330). We understand that the martyrdom of the content is present in this stereotype monastic hermit Copt, introduced by the authors of the sources, this will allow us greater strength in proving our hypothesis about the development of a patristic representation, which aimed to raise the monks as the authentic successors of the martyrs and establishes guidelines and patristic models defined for these religious and those who followed them.
Nesta pesquisa pretende-se demonstrar o processo de elabora??o de um estere?tipo de m?rtir para os monges eremitas coptas, atrav?s do qual acreditamos ser poss?vel analisar a representa??o hagiogr?fica elaborada para esses religiosos, a partir de vest?gios textuais encontrados nas fontes prim?rias Vita Antonii (357) e Vita Pauli (374-379), de autoria, respectivamente, de Atan?sio de Alexandria (296-373) e Jer?nimo de Estrid?o (347-420), acerca dos monges Ant?o do deserto (251-356) e Paulo de Tebas (228-330). Entendemos que se o conte?do do mart?rio estiver presente neste estere?tipo mon?stico erem?tico copta, introduzido pelos autores das fontes, isto nos permitir? maior solidez na comprova??o de nossa hip?tese acerca da elabora??o de uma representa??o patr?stica, que visava al?ar os monges como os aut?nticos sucessores dos m?rtires, al?m de estabelecer diretrizes e modelos patr?sticos definidos para esses religiosos e aqueles que os seguiam.

This chapter describes the preservation efforts undertaken by the American Research Center in Egypt on the famous murals, preserved in the Cairo Coptic Museum, which were originally excavated in Apa Jeremiah's Saqqara monastery and Apa Apollo's Bawit monastery. These wall paintings have traditionally been considered the principal symbols of Coptic art. The Saqqara niches were excavated between 1906 and 1910. In keeping with Egyptian tradition, all the paintings are painted on plaster a secco. The Saqqara niches were constructed of mud brick lined with a white lime plaster arricio, often quite coarse and uneven, containing siliceous alluvial sand and some occasional plant fibers. The Bawit niches were excavated in 1913. The two niches were painted on mud with only a thin white lime wash applied for the paintings, rendering them considerably more delicate than the Saqqara niches.

The introduction presents the book's argument that holy saints and their imaginaries are sites of Christian-Muslim mediation in post-1952 Egypt. "Christian-Muslim mediation" signals two different kinds of mediation: (1) Orthodox Christian traditions of divine intercession that have long brokered ties across various faiths and denominations; and (2) the Coptic Church and its state-authorized role as an arbiter of Christian-Muslim affairs. The introduction establishes the book's strategic focus on how Copts imagine their relations to Muslims and how the Coptic Church legislates and regulates their imaginings. It provides an abbreviated historical background of Copts and the Coptic Church in contemporary Egypt and elaborates on the book's theoretical approaches to the material aesthetics of sainthood and the national politics of religious difference. It closes with a brief account of fieldwork methodology and a chapter overview.

This chapter examines the relationship between the Coptic and Armenian churches in Egypt in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Coptic and Armenian churches (with the exception of Armenian Protestants) share a long history of cooperation and goodwill, and continue to pursue a goal of unity. Egyptian Christians (Copts) and Armenian Orthodox Christians represent the non-Chalcedonian belief in the unity of the nature of Christ (the single nature of Christ). The majority of Armenian Egyptians are affiliated with the Orthodox Church, but Armenian Catholics, who believe in the dual nature of Christ, also make up part of the Egyptian Armenian community. The Armenian community, as a whole, shows remarkable tolerance and acceptance of other Christian communities, although in recent decades the initiative and commitment to unity has been spearheaded by the Coptic Pope, Shenouda III.

Going beyond an inventory of “Old Testament apocrypha” transmitted in Coptic, this chapter focuses on the conceptual problems inherent in the study of Coptic literature, and of Coptic apocrypha in particular. First, the complicated linguistic situation of late antique and early medieval Egypt is sketched, which as far as Coptic sources are concerned resulted in a fragmentary and discontinuous record. Secondly, the Coptic sources are considered in their social setting, which is primarily the liturgical life of Christian, predominantly monastic communities between the fourth and the twelfth centuries. It is argued that terminology such as “Old Testament apocrypha” is not only descriptively inadequate but bars a proper understanding of the texts as embedded in local Christian genres and practices.

This chapter focuses on an important monastic site in the region, the St. Mina Monastery. It begins with a short historical introduction to St. Mina, the meaning of his name, his feasts, and his monasteries and churches in Mareotis west of Alexandria, in Fumm al-Khalig, in the Delta, and in Upper Egypt according to the Arabic sources. St. Mina the Egyptian, or the Miracle Worker, is one of the most important Coptic saints in Egypt from the Roman period. His monuments are visited by a large number of believers, and a large artistic collection, discovered in his monastery in Mareotis, is displayed in Coptic monasteries, Coptic churches, the Coptic Museum in Cairo, and other international archaeological museums.

Since 1883, when Theodor Graf (1840–1903) exhibited in Vienna a collection of Late Antique textiles from Egypt, a new trend in collecting antiquities was born. In the next decades, thousands of such textiles got to museums and private collections throughout the world. Some treated them as curiosities, others as examples of ancient craft to serve educational purposes, still others valued them as objects that enriched the knowledge of the daily life and culture in the centuries of the transformation of the ancient civilization. One of the oldest collections of this kind in Poland is an assembly of 52 textiles acquired in 1893 by professor Józef Łepkowski (1826–1894) for the Archaeological Cabinet of the Jagiellonian University (currently the Jagiellonian University Museum). The paper presents the Archaeological Cabinet’s collection of textiles on a broader background of the 19th-century interest in this specific kind of objects.