Description:

Middle East

Two remnants of ancient needlework, possibly Egyptian, 4th - 7th century, likely gathered by noted art collector Kirkor Minassian during his frequent journeys to the Middle East.

 

(1) Pictorial textile fragment, approximately 8” x 5.5”, tan background depicting two figures in brown fabric conversing. Head covering resembles Egyptian headdress. Some loss, mostly at left tan background and brown fabric perimeter. Very little loss at figures.

 

(2) Decorative textile depicting a 2” x 2.5” oval-shaped pendant suspended from a 1.5” by 6” strip, sewn onto a 2.5” x 10.75” woven strip. One symbol is depicted on the strip; five symbols are embroidered on the pendant. Fine condition.

 

When acquired by University Archives, these two tapestries were accompanied by an original card headed “25.113 Tapestry,” cataloging “Egyptian (Coptic) 4th – 7th century / Byzantine? Influence / Pendant medallion from a linen garment. / Circle in dark green, with stem at top…” The catalogue card notes that it was “Purchased with contributions at Minassian Sale in New York, April 6, 1925. See 25.104.” It seems likely that either or both tapestries here offered were described on card “25.104” which is not present.

 

The advertisement in “The New York Times” announced the April 6, 1925, sale of “A Colorful Collection of decorative art of the Near East … gathered in the course of his travels by Kirkor Minassian…” Photocopy included. Two years later, “Coptic tapestries” were mentioned in an ad for another offering by Minassian.

 


From LOC,gov: “In the late 1920s and 1930s the Library [of Congress] acquired from Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944), New York art dealer and authority on Near Eastern manuscripts, over two hundred items relating to the development of writing and the book arts in the Middle East.” Museums in which art acquired by Minassian are displayed include the Frick Collection and the British Museum.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 26, 2020 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000