Greek dress : $b a study of the costumes worn in ancient Greece, from pre-Hellenic times to the Hellenistic ageAbrahams, Ethel Beatrice
History
Greek dress : $b a study of the costumes worn in ancient Greece, from pre-Hellenic times to the Hellenistic age
Abrahams, Ethel Beatrice
Clothing and dress -- Greece
Looking at the snake goddess more in detail, we find that the jacket
is cut away into a V-shape from the neck to the waist, leaving both
the breasts quite bare; the two edges are laced across below the
breast, the laces being fastened in a series of bows. The jacket
is covered with an elaborate volute pattern, the apron with spots
and bordered with a “guilloche.” The horizontal lines on the skirt
probably represent stripes in the material, the edge being ornamented
with a reticulated band. The girdle of the goddess is composed of two
snakes intertwined. The head-dress here consists of a high turban,
probably made of cloth or linen wound round some kind of framework.
The principle of the costume is always the same, though the fashions
vary considerably in detail: for example, the skirt of the votary
is composed of a series of seven flounces, one above the other,
the lower edge in each case just covering the upper edge of the
flounce below, the whole being probably sewn on to a foundation. On
a fresco[15] representing a lady dancing, the skirt seems to consist
of three such flounces. On the same figure the breast is not left
bare, but a chemisette seems to be worn under the jacket, possibly
made of some fine linen material, the edge of which is distinctly
indicated at the neck. In one of the statuettes from Petsofa[16]
the jacket terminates at the back in a high “Medici” collar, and in
another fresco, from Knossos, a high sash appears on the back, the
loop reaching to the nape of the neck, and the fringed edge hanging
down to the waist; at first sight this sash recalls the Japanese
“Obi.”[17] The millinery of the Cretan ladies, as illustrated by the
terra-cotta fragments from Petsofa, exhibits an abundant variety of
styles. The hat seems to have consisted of a flat, circular, or oval
piece of material pinched up into any shape to suit the taste of the
wearer; sometimes it is fastened down towards the nape of the neck,
and curves round the head, rising high up in front over the face; in
one case[18] the brim has a wavy edge and is trimmed with rosettes
underneath; frequently it is done up into a large “toque” shape,
narrowing to a point in front; this form occurs also on late Mycenæan
terra-cottas.
[15] Fig. 4, only a very small fragment of the skirt remains;
but the painting has been restored. Reproduced from the _British
School Annual_, VIII., fig. 28.
[16] Fig. 5 from _British School Annual_, IX., pl. viii.
[17] The large sash worn over the “Kimono” and tied rather high
up at the back.
[18] _British School Annual_, IX., pls. xi. and xii.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.—Fresco of a Dancing Girl.
_Face page_ 12.]
[Illustration: FIG. 5.—Statuette from Petsofa.
_Face page_ 12.]
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