The Child's Sleeves
This pair of chid's sleeves [UC8980A and UC8980B] were excavated by Petrie at the site of Gurob in 1889 from a tomb and dates to between Dynasty 18 and 19 [c1320BC]. They are in perfect condition. Petrie commented that:
Two sleeves of a child's jacket were found, quite new and unused, in the clean sand filling of a tomb of the 19th dynasty. Probably they had been lost by the labourer's wife when sitting on the sand heap thrown out when digging the tomb.
The Petrie Museum displays the sleeves hanging down because the Egyptian phrase [htri n] iseh for sleeves possibly means 'a pair which hangs down'. This phrase has been found in laundry lists which record sleeves as separate items.
Stitching at the shoulder indicates that they were attached into the armholes of a tunic. Sleeves were made separately and attached to garments when required in cold weather. Clothes were a valuable commodity in Ancient Egypt, even sleeves like this would be of significant value. It is unlikely therefore, that the sleeves were simply lost.
They are neatly made with a hard wearing seam known as 'run and fell'. Today such seams are often used with denim, usually on jeans.
[text from display board]
The Child's Sleeves
This pair of chid's sleeves [UC8980A and UC8980B] were excavated by Petrie at the site of Gurob in 1889 from a tomb and dates to between Dynasty 18 and 19 [c1320BC]. They are in perfect condition. Petrie commented that:
Two sleeves of a child's jacket were found, quite new and unused, in the clean sand filling of a tomb of the 19th dynasty. Probably they had been lost by the labourer's wife when sitting on the sand heap thrown out when digging the tomb.
The Petrie Museum displays the sleeves hanging down because the Egyptian phrase [htri n] iseh for sleeves possibly means 'a pair which hangs down'. This phrase has been found in laundry lists which record sleeves as separate items.
Stitching at the shoulder indicates that they were attached into the armholes of a tunic. Sleeves were made separately and attached to garments when required in cold weather. Clothes were a valuable commodity in Ancient Egypt, even sleeves like this would be of significant value. It is unlikely therefore, that the sleeves were simply lost.
They are neatly made with a hard wearing seam known as 'run and fell'. Today such seams are often used with denim, usually on jeans.
[text from display board]