Wall-hanging of Actaeon and Artemis
- Audio guide stop: 369
- Gallery: Room 66
- Culture: Coptic
- Date: 5thC
- Object type: textile, tapestry
- Materials: linen; wool
- Museum number: EA43049
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a wall-hanging titled “Wall-hanging of Actaeon and Artemis.” This is a Coptic textile, created in the fifth century. Made of undyed linen, the piece was enhanced using tapestry-woven colored wools.
Look closely at the central image of Artemis holding a bow, and a figure with a reversed spear, possibly Actaeon. The composition is brightened with red flowers surrounding them.
Above, a panel shows dancing male figures within swirling floral scrolls. Along the sides, more figures dance inside patterned vine-tendrils. These details reveal a rich, narrative style typical of Coptic art.
The piece was found near Akhmim in Egypt and later purchased in 1906 from a dealer in Constantinople. Coptic art like this connects early Christian traditions with classical influences and local weaving techniques used in ancient Egypt.
See it in person
Wall-hanging of Actaeon and Artemis is on display in Room 66 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 369, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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