a fifth dynasty funerary dress in the petrie museum

Textile History, 16 (I), 5-22, 1985

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dress in the PetrieMuseum of Egyptian Archaeology: its Discoveryand Conservation

ROSALIND HALL AND JENNIFER BARNETT

In 1897 W. M. Flinders Petrie obtained the concession to excavate the site of Deshasheh inthe Fayum, and here he discovered a provincial necropolis dating to the late Old Kingdom.In the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2494-2345 B.C.) Tomb 148b he discovered nine 'shirts'l pileddirectly on top of the female burial lying in its solid-block wooden coffin.2 According toPetrie, two of the nine dresses were too coarse and rotted to unfold, so were presumably leftin situ, but nowhere does he state the museum location of the remaining seven garments.However, Petrie, who was rapidly gaining his reputation as the pioneer of scientificarchaeology in Egypt, was certainly not the man to be unaware of the possible futurepotential of this type of archaeological material for his own study collection.

As is now well-known, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University CollegeLondon has a wealth of textile material,3 and, in 1978, during the course of curatorial workon material from Deshasheh, I (RR) examined a jumbled mass of funerary rags only todiscover two of these fine linen tunics. One of them, UC. 31182,4 had been wrapped byPetrie in a sheet of newspaper from The Athenaeum of 26 December 1898, and was labelledby him on the outside, in characteristic blue crayon: 'Galabiyeh. V dyne Deshasheh.' It wasstill in the practically pristine condition in which it had been discovered for the first timeeighty years previously. The other, UC. 31183 conserved, the subject of this article, wassimply discovered amongst the linen fragments, and was in an extremely weakened andfragile state (Fig. 10). An exhaustive search in 1979 of the Journal d'Entree in the CairoMuseum failed to reveal the present whereabouts of the remaining five garments.

Further linen from this tomb and from Deshasheh generally, now in the Petrie Museum,takes the form of roller bandages placed on the bodies, and large cloths and shawls, oftennewly laundered, invariably have a selvedge at one long side, and a fringe at the other, withrolled hemmed short edges. An interesting fragment of 'fishing-net' linen from Tomb 995

was also found, characterized by a very open weave and the use of fine thread.It was possible to undertake conservation work on UC. 31182 during 1979 when Mrs S.

Landi, Head of the Textile Section in the Conservation Department at the Victoria andAlbert Museum cleaned the dress and mounted it on a wire-netting frame shaped to fit.From 1980 this dress has been on permanent display in a purpose-built exhibit case in thePetrie Museum, standing adjacent to the First Dynasty (c. 3IOQ-2890B.C.) tunic fromTarkhan, UC. 28614Bi, which was conserved, again by Mrs Landi, in 1978.6

An opportunity to have UC. 31183 conserved, which due to its fragile state had beenretained in museum storage, occurred in August 1981. At this date a long-term scheme of

0°4°-4969/85101 0°°5-18 $°3.00 © 1985 Textile History

5

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dressco-operation was inaugurated by which the Textile Conservation Centre at Hampton CourtPalace, which is under the direction of Mrs K. Finch, undertook the cleaning andconservation of selected textiles from the Petrie Museum. The treatment of the dress wassuggested as a potential project for a final year student, so it was sent to the TextileConservation Centre and the following year, Jennifer Barnett, a conservator possessing agreat sensitivity for such early textiles, expressed her willingness to undertake the ratherdaunting task. The description, condition and treatment of the garment, as presented inthis article, are drawn from the detailed report7 which she submitted as part of the coursework for the three year postgraduate Diploma Course in Textile Conservation, at theTextile Conservation Centre, run in conjunction with the Courtauld Institute of Art,University of London.

The aim of the conservation treatment had to be to support and improve the appearanceof the garment for display purposes in such a manner that vital historical evidence ofmaterials used in Fifth Dynasty burials was preserved. The garment was returned to thePetrie Museum in December 1983 and since then has been on permanent display in thesame exhibit case as its companion dress (Fig. IS).

CONSTRUCTION OF THE GARMENT

The garment, of plain weave linen fabric, is very long (L. 137 cm) and narrow (W. 43 cm),with a high waist, and long narrow sleeves (L. 66 cm; W. 23 cm). Originally the garmentprobably comprised three cut pieces of fabric: the skirt and two sleeves which extend fromthe wrist to the neckline to form the bodice (Fig. I). In this respect, it is identical in form toits companion dress. The skirt is constructed by the stitching together of the two selvedges,

FIG. I. Probable original appearance with actualmeasurements.

6


one of which has a sparse, regular fringe (Fig. 2).8 The bodice comprises two similarsections on either side which extend into sleeves, each using a single piece of fabric. Eachpiece extends from the neckline, which is the selvedge, to the wrist. The seam which formsthe sleeve and bodice begins at the waist seam, continues up the side of the bodice and alongthe sleeve to the wrist. This seam does not remain on the centre underside of the sleeve, buttwists around to one side (Fig. 5). This feature is very similar to both the other Deshashehdress, and to the Tarkhan tunic.

Three different types of seam can be distinguished on the garment (Fig. 3).9 At the skirtside seam, the two selvedges were apparently held together and whipstitched, leaving noseam allowance. The bodice/sleeve seam is secured with whipstitching over the two edgesrolled together. This continues for 20 cm from the waist seam, then the technique changesto the whipstitching of an open seam which has seam allowances, the edges of which are

FIG. 2. Pattern of the skirt and bodice/sleeves.

FIG. 3. Three types of seam: rolled (bodice), open (sleeve and waist), edge to edge (skirt).

7

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dressrolled and whipstitched. The waist seam is also whip stitched open with whipstitched rollededges (Fig. 4). The seam allowances vary in width from 8 mm to 30 mm, the greater widthbeing found on one side only of the sleeve seam (Fig. 5). This feature is also similar to thesleeves of the Tarkhan tunic.

There are hems at the bottom of the skirt and at the end of the sleeve at the wrist. In bothcases, the raw edge of the fabric has been rolled under, but at the skirt hem, the roll is to theoutside, whilst the wrist hem is rolled to the inside (Fig. 5). The thread used for all thestitching comprises three linen threads plied together with a 'z' twist. It is much thickerthan the woven threads.

The fabric is loosely woven, giving a light, airy, semi-transparent appearance, despite theregular stripes of a close weave. The threads are single (unplied), and were identified as

FIG. 4. The open waistseam and the rolled bodiceside seam.

FIG. 5. The wide seamallowances on the sleeveseam.

8


linen. The plain weave is spaced at regular intervals to form stripes. The weave count is17warps/em and 8 wefts/em with an average of 16warps in each solid stripe, all of which arewarp faced, and an average of 2 warps in every space between them. In every 2 centimetresthere is an average of three solid stripes and two spaces between them. The warp count ofthe stripes is inconsistent; in some areas they fork into two, sometimes continuing on to joinwith another fork from an adjacent stripe. This can be seen most clearly on the bodice. Inother places, two whole stripes come together to form an extra wide stripe. The stripes aremost consistent, in width and spacing, where the stitching along the waist seam and the hemof the skirt seems to hold them in place.

It appears that the three pieces of the garment were cut from a large piece of linen fabricwhich had a fringe along one selvedge. It can be seen at the skirt side seam and at theneckline on one side of the bodice (Fig. 1). The fringe is formed by the wefts, possibly in thesequence shown (Figs. 6 and 7). The result is a sparse but regular and delicate fringe, quiteunlike any other examples which were examined in the course of research. 8

At each folded side of the skirt, narrow but very distinct soft convolutions can be seenrunning along its entire length (Fig. 8). It is possible that this textural effect was obviousover the entire garment before it was flattened in the burial. Although herringbone pleating

"'___:::.==.---.:-___ __ ....•..._ _ -:..-=---- t --..~==---------- ------- --~-_-:..--I-

1-_-===""=--=--=----- -_-_-===.a.:.a..- __ --u.:==-=---I-__ -_ -_-_ -_- ..;.~-_-_-_-==-=..o..;..;:.....- _-_---_- ===4--.- 1-

---- ---- ----- -------1-.1-.1-1--

FIG. 6. Weave analysis of the fringe.

-ll~~I_-!hl \! ~_i_i i i-i--bJ bJ 6J-

FIG. 7. Possible weaving sequence of the fringe.

9

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary DressFIG. 8. Possible 'natural' pleating at the side of theskirt.

is known,lo the accordion type of pleating predominates on Egyptian textiles. The latter ischaracterized by straight, regular, concertina-like folds, deliberately formed by hand,perhaps using a pleating board or by skilful folding. 11The Tarkhan tunic has such pleats onboth sides of the bodice and round the sleeves.

In this case, however, the description 'natural pleating' is preferable, even though itsformation may be just as deliberate as mechanically formed pleating. It is suggested that thisfabric has not been 'creased' so much as 'encouraged' to form its own soft convolutionsthrough the combination of the striped weave and the natural tendency of wet linen fibres totwist in an'S' direction (i.e. clockwise) when drying.

The solid stripes of the fabric are very closely woven compared with the open weave of thestripes adjoining them. It is possible that each solid stripe, as it dries, turns clockwise alongits entire length, forcing the adjacent, more loosely woven stripes to follow. The extent towhich the latter can follow is limited by the turning of the next solid stripe, and so the twistin the loose stripe changes direction to follow the next solid stripe, and so on (Fig. 9).

The overall effect would be similar in appearance to corrugated cardboard, a resemblancedisplayed in the 'pleating' on our garment. A statue group in the Oriental Institute,University of Chicago (10618)12 can be cited as a useful parallel. Here the woman wears atigh t-fitting, high· waisted, sleeveless dress with vertical corrugations, representing eitherfine pleats or stripes, running vertically. Pleats so formed would probably be flattened and

10

- - - - - .. - - -- - .. - - - - -

" .•~ ,..~ '-~ ,.., \ ' , ~ , I

, I I , , , ,.y ....) '.Y '.J


FIG. 9. Cross-section of possible formation of the'natural' pleating.

stretched out by wear or unsympathetic storage, but would be reformed each time thegarment dried after washing.

It was not until conservation treatment had commenced that the possibility of this kind ofpleat formation was deduced. A day after humidity treatment, an 8 cm long, partlydetached section of the selvedge had twisted dramatically in an'S' direction, probably as themoisture gained in the humidity treatment was released from the fibres. No other solidstripes were so obviously affected, but this is to be expected as no others were so wide, nor sodetached. These factors probably amplified the minimal twisting effect expected from sucha small moisture loss (compared with that which would be obtained from a thoroughwetting and drying).

No evidence has been found for the possibility that such textures could have beenproduced by weavers sensitive to the inherent qualities and behaviour of the materialswhich they used. Rather the impression is that textural effects are either to be attributed tomechanical means applied to a woven cloth, or to non-woven techniques such as sprang orknitting. However, as so few textiles survive from this period, and even fewer have beendocumented or conserved (with the exception of the more spectacular examples, such asgarments), this lack of evidence is hardly surprising.

CONDITION OF THE GARMENT AND THE PROCESS OF CONSERVATION

The garment is remarkably strong and supple for its age. It is incomplete; one sleeve ismissing altogether, detached from the shoulder, and the other sleeve/bodice is also detachedbut mostly whole. At the top of the skirt, a large area is missing, extending from the centrefront to the centre back (Fig. 10). The edges of the missing areas are stained reddish brownand are very brittle and fragile. Various small holes are associated with this staining over thegarment.

There is little physical damage: small holes and a torn and frayed area at the bottom of thebottom of the skirt at the side seam. Overall, the garment is very creased, especially in thestained areas where the shape of the dress is completely distorted. The state of thedegradation of the linen fibres was investigated with a view to the possibility of washing thegarment, but it was found that the dark stained fibres would disintegrate and probably belost if subjected to the process of wet washing.

The ageing and degradation of organic materials, including textiles, results in higher thannormal levels of acidity due to the by-products of the associated chemical breakdownreaction. High levels of acidity are harmful to degraded textiles and can be reduced by wetwashing, so the level of the acidity of the garment was measured with this view. Sampleswere taken from the clean, strong fibres and also from the dark, brittle fibres at pH 7 andpH6 respectively. The average result was almost neutral and at an unusually safe level for

II

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary DressFIG. 10. The garment before conservation.

such an ancient textile. A recent research paper measured modern linen at pH 5. I and linenfrom an ancient mummy wrapping at pH 4. 1,13 results which also suggest that the pHreading of the garment is unusual. However, it was thus unnecessary to consider thereduction of the acidity as a reason for washing the garment.

With the usual pH levels in mind, the many and various small deposits of soilings over thegarment were closely examined. Under the stereomicroscope, five different types of matterwere easily discernable:I. Transparent: large (2 cm), much resembling dried sugar syrup, and seemed to be fresh

compared with the other deposits.2. Black/grey: tiny specks, appeared to be bitumen, molten when deposited.3. Russet: appeared to be beads of resin, molten when deposited.4. Gold/yellow: a combination of resin like and crystalline particles and also yellow

powder, sometimes associated with the dark strained areas.5. Grey: an amalgam of yellow, resin like particles and grey matter.

It is likely that these substances are traces of those used in the burial ritual. The materialsmost used by the Ancient Egyptians in their mummification techniques are natron, resin,bitumen, woodpitch, and waxes.14 With the exception of the large transparent soilings,which seem to be food stains probably deposited after excavation, the soilings are verysimilar in appearance to these substances.

12


It was not possible to analyse and identify the soilings conclusively, or to investigate thepossibility that one or all of them were responsible for the degradation of the dark stained areas.However, natron, a naturally occurring compound, comprised of sodium carbonate andbicarbonate with traces of sodium chloride and sulphate,15 would tend to produce an alkalineeffect in this case, and so it may well be the cause of the neutral pH readings of the linen.

The potential continuing degrading effect of the soilings, and the possibility of testing thenatural pleating theory were sound reasons for wet washing the garment, but the soilingsand the dark, degraded areas would be lost and never fully investigated. Thus it was decidedthat the certainty of losing parts of the garments outweighed the possible benefits ofwashing. 16

The proposed treatment of the garment aimed to relax the creasing and distortion, fullyto support the entire dress with a suitable fabric without obscuring construction details, toprotect the degraded areas by covering them with a suitable material, and to construct themissing areas to give a complete appearance to the form of the garment. The intention wasto avoid, as much as possible, any obscuring of the historical evidence which the garmentpresents (not only the soilings but also the weave and construction), yet to do everythingpossible within that limitation to restore its form and make it safe for display and carefulexamination.

The two pieces of the garment will be referred to as the sleeve and the dress. They weretreated separately, using the same techniques and materials, then joined together in the finalstage of the conservation treatment.

To remove the creasing, the two pieces were carefully eased and pinned into shape onspecially constructed polystyrene and high density foam rubber forms. During thisprocedure, a large area on the sleeve was noticed to be stretched and looked very similar tothe distortion one might expect from an elbow bending in a tight sleeve. In addition, theposition of the distortion on the sleeve was consistent with this possibility. However, nofurther indications of wear could be found on the garment.

It was decided that the removal of the creasing would be aided by the introduction ofmoisture into the fibres, and as the work room was very warm and dry (RH 43%), thegarment had probably lost moisture since coming out of storage, perhaps rendering thedegraded fibres more brittle.

Various methods were considered before selecting the method of placing the pinned outpieces in a specially constructed polythene sheeting tent, the atmosphere of which could bemade more humid by placing a small container of water inside. 17It was difficult to knowbefore hand exactly how effective the treatment would be, for although new linen is highlyabsorbant and moisture retentive, it is impossible to assess the degree with which a piece ofancient linen would retain these properties.

After the treatment, when the pins were first removed from the pieces, the fibres stayed intheir realigned position. The worst creases were still evident, but much reduced. After aday, the fibres started to assume their previous creasing but as the application of the supportfabric commenced immediately, the creasing was easily corrected as work progressed. It isdifficult to know whether it was the humidity treatment or the pinning out which was moreeffective, or the combination of both.

The selection of the support materials received a great deal of consideration. is Cottonvoile was finally selected as the support fabric because it blends well with the open weave of

13

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dressthe dress, it is easy to manipulate, is also cellulose, and has a similar drape, handle andphysical properties to those of the garment. Nylon net was selected as the overlay to protectthe degraded areas. Despite its differing physical properties, its qualities of elasticity, non-fraying edges, unobtrusive appearance and ease of handling were highly desirable for thisparticular application. Both materials were also readily obtainable and easy to dye. Theirease of manipUlation avoids the overhandling required of more difficult fabrics such as silkand polyester crepeline, which would increase the risk of damaging the brittle, degradedareas of the garment. Button cotton thread split to its finest strand, was selected as the finestand most compatible thread for couching and support stitching. Machine twist cottonthread was used only on the voile and net in reconstructing the garment.

The selection of colours for the support materials was difficult. Many different beige andcream colours and tones were considered, but, as even the palest cream obscured the openweave and stripes of the garment, it was decided that the voile should remain white. Areddish brown was chosen for the net overlay, which was to continue over the voile of thereconstructed areas to reduce the contrast between the darkly stained degraded edges andthe white voile (Fig. r I).

FIG. II. Placement ofthe net overlay.

Both pieces were fully supported on the cotton voile which was applied with a variety ofstitching techniques. The voile was aligned, selvedge to selvedge with the linen, and the twowere then pinned together, as straight as possible, allowing sufficient voile to accommodateany undulations in the linen fabric. A variety of polystyrene forms were used throughout sothat the fabrics could be pinned flat in the desired alignment as the stitching progressed. Astaggered brick pattern of lines of running stitches was initially applied as the actualsupport. The couching stitches then secured the fragile and frayed areas, the dark stainededges and the various holes.

On the bodice, the couching stitches were passed across the stripes as this was the mosteffective direction for appearance and support. However, to follow this practice on the skirtwould have had the effect of flattening and stiffening the soft appearance of the hanginglinen. The stitching on the skirt was thus applied in a vertical direction, using runningstitching almost exclusively, even along the long degraded edge. To achieve full support,the lines of running stitch there were applied closely together, no further than r .5 cm apart.

The missing sleeve was reconstructed from a pattern taken from the detached one. Thevoile support was first cut to that shape and seamed before applying it to the garment. Thenet overlay was placed over the dark degraded areas and extended a little over the stronger

14


linen. It was secured in the degraded areas with running stitches placed between each stripein the linen. The edge of the net was pinked rather than sewn down with a continuous line ofrunning stitch around the edge, as this would have had the unsightly effect of flattening thelinen. Instead, the lines of stitching following the stripes were taken from edge to edge of thenet. In this fashion, the net appeared to 'float' on the linen rather than to clamp it intoposition. On the reconstructed sleeve, the net extends right down to the wrist, and on theskirt, as far as the reconstructed waist seam.

So as not to obscure the seam stitching and seam allowance of the bodice, the voile wastrimmed and turned back on either side of the seams, then sewn together under and throughthe bodice seam, leaving it fully exposed. This was done at the waist seam and the bodice/sleeve seams (Figs. 12 and 13). The hems were also left exposed. The side seam on the skirt

FIG. 12. Exposed seamat the waist, inside view.

has the same appearance on both sides so it was not exposed entirely. However, it can beviewed through a 'window' made in the voile near the hem, which also serves to give aninside view of the weave (Fig. 14).

The aims of the conservation treatment were achieved as the distortion and creasing arebarely noticeable, and the missing areas have been reconstructed so that the appearance ofthe garment is dramatically improved. The full support and the exposure of the construc-tion detail allows the dress to be displayed and carefully examined. In the event of thesoilings proving to be seriously damaging to the garment in the future, and a decision beingtaken to wash the garment, it should be possible to do so without removing the supportfabrics or stitching already applied. Alterations may be necessary afterwards, especially ifthe dark degraded areas are lost, but the garment would be fully protected, as it is now, forthe processes of wet washing and drying.

As this garment was not designed as one meant to be worn, to have mounted it on ahuman-shaped dummy would not have presented a historically accurate display, especiallyas the garment is over-long for normal wear. Pictorial and sculptural evidence suggests thatsuch garments were worn skin-tight. However, to have been displayed as such would haveplaced too much strain on the dress.

15

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dress

FIG. 13. Waist seam, outside view. FIG. 14. 'Window' in the support fabric.

The chosen solution was a shape with neck and shoulders and a short torso ending at thewaist seam. The neck and shoulder shape performs two functions: it is the minimum formrequired to indicate that the textile is a garment, and it holds the bodice in the correctalignment for the skirt to hang straight (Fig. 15). The torso is mounted on a pole which doesnot obscure the transparent nature of the open weave or the stripes. In addition, the torsosection is separate and can be carefully lifted off the pole with the garment still mounted onthis support. The facility of the mounting ensures that the garment can be easily removedfrom the display, and stored safely elsewhere should the need arise, without disturbing thetextile greatly.

PARALLELS TO THE DESHASHEH DRESSES

Representations of sleeved, let alone horizontally pleated dresses on the monuments aredecidedly absent. However, this is not surprising as tomb reliefs and sculpture areessentially both idealized and conservative in nature and fail to mirror contemporaryfashions in Ancient Egyptian dress. (For example, form-fitting and very narrow dresses areshown, whereas the reality presents us with baggy garments; and the very fine, clinginglinen of the monuments is matched in reality, apart from items of royal attire, by heavy,closely woven, and consequently bulky weaves.) Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged

16


FIG. 15. The garment after conservation(right) displayed alongside its companion dress

in the Petrie Museum.

that both the reliefs and statue groups are often so badly worn as to make it impossible to~etermine any line around the wrists which would indicate sleeves.

During an examination of all the major rock-tomb sites of both the Old and MiddleKingdoms, in Middle Egypt, as well as at Giza and Saqqara, during the summer of 1979,only one sleeved garment was noted, and this was at Deshasheh itself. The Tomb of theFifth Dynasty Overseer of the Royal Fortresses Inti contains a depiction, on the south sideof the recess, of a young girl, S3l-k3w, standing in front of the feet of the tomb-owner andhis wife. 19 She is obviously some relation of the deceased, and appears to be wearing a long-sleeved garment as opposed to the customary female dress,20 which is sleeveless and held upby straps.

Early extant garments are of course extremely rare, but thirteen parallels to theDeshasheh dresses survive in museum collections. However, they differ in that all thirteendisplay horizontal pleating to both the skirt and the bodice/sleeves.

An inventory of these relevant garments is given below:NAGA-En-DtRTomb N94 - Sixth Dynasty (c. 2345-2181 B.C.)

17

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary DressAdult Female burial accompanied by a total of twelve dresses.21Cairo IE 8814422Boston 34.56a23Boston 34.56bBoston 34.56cBoston 34.56dBoston 13.3966aBoston 13.3966bBoston 13.3966c[Boston Untraced24][Boston Untraced25]Tomb NI 10 - Sixth DynastyAdult Female burial.Cairo IE 88145GEBELEINUnnumbered Tomb - Sixth DynastyUnsexed burial.Turin Inv. No. 1408726ASYUTTomb 13 - Eleventh Dynasty (c. 2133-1991 B.C.)Un sexed burial with 'plusieurs' identical garments, but only one salvageable.Louvre E 1202627MEIRUnnumbered plundered Tomb - Eleventh DynastyUnsexed burial.Cairo IE 4368428Cairo Unregistered

THEIR WEAR IN LIFE

The horizontal pleating of these dresses naturally serves to shorten the finished length of thegarment to a level (c. 70 cm) making everyday wear possible. In addition, the garments alldisplay distinct signs of wear in the form of creasing and loss of pleating around the armpitsand elbows, and perspiration staining. Approximately half the number were placed in theirfunerary contexts inside-out (e.g. the Tarkhan and Asyut dresses), representing the mannerin which garments were laundered, pleated, and subsequently stored in linen chests.

The Deshasheh and Naga-ed-Der dresses derive from female burials. As the Asyfttdresses were excavated from a burial which contained both a battle axe and a walking-stickas grave-goods,29 a male owner is indicated. This is reinforced by the made-to-measuredimensions of the surviving dress in the Louvre. 30 Whilst the form of the dress represents alogical development from the Old Kingdom female shift with shoulder-straps, the stylewould be equally suitable for the male agricultural supervisor.

It is significant that all these garments, with one exception, derive from provincialcemeteries confined to a narrow area of the Fayum and the northern part of Upper Egypt.They may thus appear to be indicative of a purely local fashion dictated by the adverse coldof the winters in these regions. They therefore simply adapt the monumental form byextending the shoulder-straps along the arms. The need for warmer clothing is illustrated

18


by the long robes, kilts, and stoles depicted in the Meir tomb reliefs. 31They would also haveprovided protection for the wearer engaged in agricultural labour , especially in view of thefact that sickle flints, polished by the grain, would have been very hard on the skin. At leastduring the Ramesside Period (c. 1320-1085 B.C.), the cloak (Egyptian 43yt) could commanda high price, and so is never worn by the fellahin. These dresses were therefore probably theequivalent of the New Kingdom 'bag-tunic' (mss), the daily working garment of theagriculturalists. 32

The Gebelein dress presents an exception to the rule, as it was excavated in the verycentre of Upper Egypt, and, therefore, in a warm climate all the year round. Indeed in formthe dresses are remarkably similar to the modern Arab galabiyeh; thus they would have beenequally effective in a hot summer climate. It should be noted that when worn in life, the V-shaped necklines, at both front and back of the garment, could be fastened by means ofthree pairs of strings of twisted flax. These ties still survive on some of the garments(Deshasheh UC. 31182, Gebelein, and Asyut dresses), and would have afforded additionalprotection to the wearer.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DESHASHEH DRESSES

The excessive length, lack of pleating, and extremely narrow width of the Deshashehdresses seems to indicate that they were designed exclusively as grave-goods. The finishedlengths for the dresses of 142 cm (UC. 31182) and 137 cm (UC. 31183) can be related to thefemale body in Tomb 148b, which measured 135 cm for the corresponding distance. Itshould also be remembered that whilst the dresses bear stained areas from the mummifica-tion procedure, they also show a lack of staining and creasing from daily wear.

Thus they represent a traditional stage33between the placing of simple hanks of yarn withthe body, attested as far back as Nagada I (c. 3800-3500 B.C.) burials,34 with the pictorialrepresentation of garments intended to act in a magical fashion, as evidenced by the tomb-chapels of Khufukha'ef (I) at Giza35 and Fetekti at Saqqara.36 Here men are depictedp}~cing long pleated lengths of linen into boxes as part of the funerary equipment of thedeceased. 'Fake' dresses have also been found,37 which take the form of sheets cut toslmulate the front of a tunic with a V-shaped neck." It is noteworthy that the hieroglyphic determinative for a sleeved garment CZ3' ,

occasionally used in the Old Kingdom linen-lists38 for 33f-linen, with the amount writtenwith a thousand-sign below, is very similar to the Deshasheh dresses. Certainly linen wasone of the main objects of the tomb robbers at Deshasheh (where it was often found halfdragged out of a coffin, and hanging over the edge), as it doubtless was elsewhere, and thismay have encouraged the substitution of wall-reliefs for the actual material. This furtherdevelops into the representation of garments on Middle Kingdom coffins.39 However, theplacing of actual garments in tombs is still encountered in a limited form at later periods, aswitnessed by Petrie's excavation of a Twentieth Dynasty (c. 1200-1085 B.C.) tomb atKahun. Here he found 'three or four perfect shirts', sleeveless in form, which had beenneatly folded up in packets and placed between the mummy bandages.4o

As far as the history of Ancient Egyptian dress is concerned, this style of garment enjoyedonly a brief and limited vogue. Doubtless this was both due to the fact that they provedimpractical, for the pleats would sag from the weight of the linen, and because they were

19

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dressaesthetically unappealing, being both clumsy and ugly. However, be this as it may, theycertainly deserve a place in the history of dress as evidence of early extant garments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to express our grateful thanks to Mrs K. Finch without whose enthusiasm for thejoint Petrie Museum and Textile Conservation Centre linen treatment project this dresswould never have been conserved.

Professor S. Curto, Superintendent of the Museo Egizio, Turin and Dr J. L. de Cenival,Conservateur en chef of the Musee du Louvre, Paris, afforded every facility for theexamination of the dresses in their collections. This served to provide much additionalmaterial regarding the daily wear of these garments, some of which has been utilized in thisarticle.

Dr Peter Lacovara and Ms Leslie Smith, respectively of the Egyptian and the Textile andCostume Departments of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, have generously provided thelatest information on newly rediscovered dresses in their museum.

The photographs in this article were all taken by Jennifer Barnett in the course ofconservation work and are the copyright of the Textile Conservation Centre, with theexception of Fig. 10 which was provided by the Central Photographic Unit, UniversityCollege London, at the time of the rediscovery of the dresses.

REFERENCES AND NOTES

1 His first-hand account of the discovery is given in the unpublished W. M. F. Petrie, 'MSS Journal',28 December 1896-9 March 1897, pp. 47-50, original in the Griffith Institute, Oxford, copy in the PetrieMuseum. For the relevant site publication: W. M. F. Petrie, Deshasheh (London, 1898), pp. 16; 31-32;and PI. XXXV.

2 Both the coffin and body are now in the Cairo Museum, JE 31894 and JE 31875 respectively.3 For basic background material on the Petrie Museum and its textile collections: R. Hall, 'Garments in

the Petrie Museum -ofEgyptian Archaeology' in Textile History 13, No. I (Spring 1982), pp. 27-45; andFigs 1-17.

4 R. Hall, 'TwoJinen dresses from the Fifth Dynasty site of Deshasheh now in the Petrie Museum ofEgyptian Archaeology, University College London' in J. Egyptian Arch. 67 (1981), pp. 168-71; andPis XIX; XX.

5 So-named after the description in Papyrus Westcar of Snofru's female rowers. R. Hall, 'Fishing-net(i3dt) Dresses in the Petrie Museum' in Gottinger Miszellen 42 (1981), pp. 37-43; and PIs 1-2.

6 S. Landi and R. M. Hall, 'The Discovery and Conservation of an Ancient Egyptian Linen Tunic' inStudies in Conservation 24, NO.4 (1979), pp. 141-52; and Figs I-I I. R. Hall and B. Adams, 'NewExhibitions in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology' in The Museum Archaeologist 4 (1979),pp. 9-10. Inner London Education Authority, ILEA Contact 7, NO.3 (May 1978), p. 12.

7 J. Barnett, 'The Conservation of an Early Egyptian Funerary Garment' (Unpublished ConservationReport 1983). Copies can be consulted at the Textile Conservation Centre and at the Petrie Museum.

8 L. Bellinger, 'Textile Analysis: E:arlyTechniques in Egypt !1ndthe Near East' in Workshop Notes PaperNO.2 (June 1959). M. do Pilar,'Tisseres etJlranges de Toiles Egyptiennes' in Bulletin de Liaison du CentreInternational d'Etude de TextilesAnciens No. 28 (Juillet 1968), pp. 97-114. Egyptian fringed textiles werealso examined at the British Museum and at the Petrie Museum.

9 I::orsewing and darning techniques used on Egyptian textiles: R. Hall, 'Stopfen und Niihen' in Lexikonder Agyptologie, Band VI (Weisbaden, 1985) (forthcoming).

10 W. Needler, 'Three pieces ofU npatterned Linell from Ancient Egypt in the Royal Ontario Museum' inV. Gervers (editor), Studies in Textile Hist~t)! (Ro.yalOntario Museum, 1972), p. 240, and Fig. 2.

20

http://www.maneyonline.com/action/showLinks?crossref=10.2307%2F3856612


11 E. Staehelin, Untersuchungen zur iigyptischen Tracht im Alten Reich (Berlin, 1966), p. 14. E. Staehelin,'Plissee' in Lexikon der Agyptologie, Band IV (Wiesbaden, 1982), cols 1060-61. E. Riefstahl, 'An additionalfootnote on pleating in Ancient Egypt' in Newsletter American Research Center in Egypt, no. 92 (Winter1975), pp. 28-29.12 E. Staehelin, Untersuchungen zur iigyptischen Tracht im Alten Reich (Berlin, 1966), Tafel II, Abb. 2.13 E. E. Peacock, 'Deacidification of Degraded Linen' in Studies in Conservation 28, No.1 (1983), p. 9.14 A. Lucas and J. R. Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries (London, 1962), pp. 270-326.15 A. Lucas and J. R. Harris, ibid., p. 493.16 For the full consideration of this decision: J. Barnett, ibid., pp. 16-24.17 For the full consideration of this method and the tabulated RH (relative humidity) readings: J. Barnett,

ibid., pp. 29-30.18 For the criteria for selection and the possibilities considered: J. Barnett, ibid., Appendix 7.19 W. M. F. Petrie, Deshasheh (London, 1898), PI. IX.20 E. Staehelin, ibid., Tafel III, Abb. 4.21 G. A. Reisner, A Provincial Cemetery of the Pyramid Age. Naga-ed-Der, III (Oxford University Press,

1932), pp. 11-13. For useful comparative material, from the same site, of female dress as depicted onstelae: D. Dunham, Naga-ed-Der Stelae of the First Intermediate Period (Oxford University Press, 1937),PIs. I-XXXIV.

22 V. Laurent-Tackholm, Faraos blomster (Stockholm, 1951), p. 255.23 E. Riefstahl, Patterned Textiles in Pharaonic Egypt (Brooklyn, 1944), p. 8; and Fig. 7.24 W. Stevenson Smith, 'The Old Kingdom linen list' in Zeitschrift fur Agyptische Sprache 71 (1935),

p. 139; and Fig. I. E. Riefstahl and S. E. Chapman, 'A Note on Ancient Fashions: Four Early EgyptianDresses in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston' in Boston Museum Bulletin, LXVIII (1970), p. 245; and Fig. 1(erroneously said to be Boston 34.56).

25 A one-sleeved example shown in the original Expedition photograph now in the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston.

26 R. Hall, 'A pleated dress from a Sixth Dynasty tomb at Gebelein now in the Museo Egizio, Turin' inJ. Ep.yptianArch. 70 (1984), pp. 136-39; and PIs XXII; XXIII and Fig. I.

27 E. Chassinant and C. Palanque, 'Une Campagne de Fouilles dans la Necropole d'Assiout' in Memoirs del'Institut Franfais d'Archeologie Orientale du Caire 24 (Le Caire, 1911), pp. 162-64; and PI. XXXIII. Ondisplay at the IF AO CeI!tenary Exhibition in Paris, and illustrated in the accompanying catalogue: Un siecledefouillesfranfaisesenEgypte 1880-1980 (Paris, 1981), p. 135, cat. no. 134.

28 M. A. B. Kamal, 'Rapport sur les fouilles de Said Bey Khachaba au Deir EI-Gabraoui' in Annales duService des Antiquites de l'Egypte, XIII (1914), pp. 171-72; and Fig. 21. W. Spiegelberg, 'Altaegyptischegefaltelte (plissierte) Leinwandstoffe' in Ann. Serv., XXVII (1927), pp. 154-56; and PI. I.

29 The axe is now in the Cairo Museum, and the walking-stick is in the Musee du Louvre (E 11984).30 These dimensions are as follows:

L. 139 cm, W. at hem 55 cm, and at bodice 48 cm.L. of sleeves from neckline to wrist 84 cm.W. of sleeves at wrist 16 cm.

31 A. M. Blackman, The Rock Tombs of Meir, III (London, 1915), PI. XIV. A. M. Blackman, The RockTombs of Meir, V (London, 1953), PIs XIV; XVI. For the function of detachable sleeves: R. Hall, 'A pair oflinen sleeves from Gurob' in Gottinger Miszellen, 40 (1980), pp. 29-38; and PI. I. J. J. Janssen and R. Hall'(htr i n) ish = pair of sleeves?' in Gottinger Miszellen, 43 (1981), pp. 21-26; and PI. I.32 J. J. Janssen, Commodity Prices from the Ramessid Period (Leiden, 1975), pp. 249-50. R. Hall, 'The

Pharaonic mss tunic as a smock?' in Gottinger Miszellen, 43 (1981), pp. 29-37 and PI. I and Fig. I.33 For parallel uses of wrappers and garments with the deceased: W. M. F. Petrie, Kafr Ammar, H eliopolis

and Shurafa (London, 1915), pp. 12-19.34 For Naqada grave 1563 of Petrie's Sequence Date 32: W. M. F. Petrie, Naqada and Ballas (London,

1896), p. 29. For Abadiyeh, Cemetery C of Petrie's Sequence Date 30: W. M. F. Petrie, Diospolis Parva(London, 1901), p. 34.35 For Reisner tomb no. G7140 of Khufukha'ef (I): A. Mariette, Les Mastabas de l'AncienEmpire (Paris,

1884), p. 562, iv.

21

A Fifth Dynasty Funerary Dress36 For Lepsius tomb no. LSI of Fetekti: C. R. Lepsius, Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien, Band IV,

Abteilung II (Berlin, 1849-59), PI. 96.37 G. A. Reisner, A History o/the Giza Necropolis, I (Cambridge, Mass., 1932), pp. 452-53, and PI. 42.

Now Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 33-4-22a.38 The slab-stela of Sethhekent from Tomb GI227 in the Western Cheops cemetery at Giza has most of the

features of the fully developed linen-list. For the linen-list in general: W. Stevenson Smith, ibid.,PP·134-49·

39 G. Jequier, Les Frises d'objets des sarcophages du Moyen Empire (Cairo, 1921), PP.24-26; andFigs 64-69.40 W. M. F. Petrie, 'MSS Journal', 26 September 1889- 27 June 1890 (Unpublished), p. 22.

22

a fifth dynasty funerary dress in the petrie museum

Documents