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The genesis, of the Coptic textiles, dates ways back in history. Fragments of linen painted with red and black were discovered at a tomb from the predynastic era at Gebelein in southern Egypt. The textiles were developed over the centuries to produce fabrics that ranged from coarse everyday clothing to the sheer fabrics of clinging robes depicted in sculptures and reliefs, however colored fabrics were a rarity. In the 18th dynasty, a new development to color yarns using natural pigments and plant dyes, led to a new weaving style, where several colored weft threads were used to produce figurative patterns. Coloring fabrics was practiced by other ancient world civilizations, however the art of Egypt was far superior. This useful art was named after the ancient name of Egypt, the black land “Kemt” or “Chimie” in Coptic. After the Arabs conquest, the Coptic word “Chimie” was arabicized to “al-khimia”or “alchemy”. The practical alchemy embodied the precursor corpus of knowledge for modern chemistry. The ancient Coptic alchemists experimented with these arts to develop new less expensive dyestuffs for different colors. They also developed techniques for dyeing and fixing the colors to the fabrics. The ingenuity, resourcefulness and skill of the Coptic alchemists reached a new zenith during the Byzantine era. This permitted the production of colored fabrics for everyday purposes for more and more people throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Robes made at that time were decorated with wide ribbons and bands-with colored motifs using both classical Greek and Christian themes. The Copts continued to dominate the textile industry and alchemy arts for many centuries after the Arabs conquest. The Fatimide rulers established dar al-tiraz, a state institution to control the revenues generated by the textiles industry. One of the styles of Coptic textiles in the Fatimide time was called al-tiraz, which was famed for decorations with Arabic inscriptions.
Alchemy included not only the useful and practical of chemistry but also a wide spectrum of knowledge such as medicine, philosophy, and astronomy. It also included some superstitions and occult practices such as magic and astrology. The latter has led to erroneous perceptions that alchemy could transform base metals into precious metals, or make elixir, a medicine which the ancients believed could prolong lives and avoid ageing. For example, after a long siege of the city of Alexandria, the Roman emperor Diocletian defeated Achelleus who led a quest for the independence of Egypt from the Roman Empire. Diocletian ordered many harsh measures against the Copts. Oddly enough however, he also ordered the destruction of all alchemy books. Edward Gibbon, the British historian, wrote “Diocletian caused a diligent inquiry to be made for all the ancient books which treated the admirable art of making gold and silver and without pity committed them to the flames”. Jaber ibn Hayyan, the great Arabic alchemist and mathematician, wrote in his book Kitab al-Naqd “the most precious elixirs to ever have been blended on earth were hidden in the pyramids”. These two quotes show that the skill of the Copts in alchemy brought fame, however with the fame there were also erroneous perceptions.
Coptic textiles on exhibit in museums allover the world testify for the quality and great care taken to produce them. Papyrological records, preserved thanks to the dry weather of Egypt, also provide historical evidence. Two long papyrus rolls, at the Bodleian Library, Oxford provide specific evidence on the skill and knowledge of the Coptic alchemists. Leslie S. B. Maccoull, the contemporary American scholar, based on her study of the papyrological evidence, indicates that much of what was disguised with occult-sounding language, as “alchemy” was in fact simple craft technology trade secrets. The papyri are dated to the 9th century A.D. and believed to have been found at el-Meshaikh, near by Girga and Akhmim. The town of Akhmim was a well-known center for textiles and dyeing industries, which exported Coptic textiles throughout the Byzantine and Arabs rule periods. Maccoull indicates that the first papyrus includes over nine separate recipes, three of which end with the remark “a proven recipe”. Some of the ingredients listed include bronze, copper, potash, alum, vinegar, lettuce, uterine and bladder and pigeon dung. Maccoull further indicates that the second papyrus includes fifteen recipes. It includes text such as the wise master says, rinse out your cup seven times and another three times until it is properly clean and well prepared to dye a white garment. The texts also include ingredients with Arabic loanwords transcribed in Coptic. Furthermore, the text includes visual symbols for gold and silver and some cryptographic writing. The text ends up with allusions to the use of “Tmachani Ncophos” or a philosopher’s machine. The text was indicated to be a collection of a master-craftsman technological approach and methodology, written for use by Coptic-speaking craft workers instructed in dye preparations and dyeing of fabrics. The review shows that the authors were Coptic master-craftsmen, who used a good Sahidic Coptic dialect to record what amounts to trade secrets and know-how of their art and technology.
The Coptic textiles were famed for their quality and their exquisite designs and colors. This was brought about by the skill and dexterity of the tens of thousands of Coptic men and women, who worked in this industry. Extant papyrological evidence sheds some light about the genius, ingenuity and resourcefulness of Coptic alchemists, who were instrumental for developing “proven recipes” that enhanced the quality and colors of the famed Coptic textiles.
Acknowledgement: The writer would like to thank the staff of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, for the assistance they rendered with the research for background material for this article.
Ed Rizkalla is a management consultant. He is the founder of Pharos on the Potomac Group (POPG), http://mysite.verizon.net/vzes76jv/pharosonthepotomacgroup. POPG is a non-profit organization established to provide cultural services to the local community at the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
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