Hestia Tapestry

The Hestia tapestry is a Byzantine-era pagan tapestry made in the Diocese of Egypt in the first half of the 6th century. It is now in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection in Washington DC, but generally not on display.

The Hestia tapestry, which is made of wool, is a late representation of the goddess Hestia. It measures 114 x 136.5 cm (44.9 x 53.7 inches). It shows the goddess enthroned with two attendants and six putti. The tapestry is identified in Greek as “Hestía Polýolbos" or "Hestia full of Blessings" (Ἑστία Πολύολβος) and is depicted mainly through the use of pomegranate fruit. Her headdress and earrings are made from pomegranates while the blessings that Hestia gives out are in the form of the fruit.

The tapestry's history and symbolism are discussed in Friedlander (1945). Scholars note that this pagan artifact was often displayed in Christian households in Egypt.