Intact Roman vexillum from Egypt

[petermac]

Any deliberate fringe would most likely be the ends of the warp threads when the fabric came off the loom. The warp ends need to be finished and one method is to tie off the threads in small bunches which create the fringe. Another is to use a type of blanket stitch along the edge of the weft to stop the weft thread unravelling. The warp threads can then be trimmed, or left as a fringe. At least that's what my partner does with her weavings. She wove a banner for our club last year in linen and one end (the lower) is fringed. One can of course cover the edge with say tablet or inkle braid as another means to stop the cloth unravelling. The sides of the cloth have a selvedge, so don't need hemming. I would expect a vexillum to be woven to size. One doesn't waste cloth when it is so labour intensive to make.
As an aside, I have always thought the fringe on the pteryges of a subarmalis is made from the warp threads, suggesting at least some of it is woven material.

Regards

Peter MacKinnon
Sydney Ancients