History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 3 (of 12)Maspero, G. (Gaston)
History
History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 3 (of 12)
Maspero, G. (Gaston)
Civilization, Ancient; Egypt -- History -- To 640 A.D.; History, Ancient; Middle East -- History
* The relatively modern costume was described by Herodotus,
i. 114; it was almost identical with the ancient one, as
proved by the representations on the cylinders and monuments
of Telloh. The short-sleeved tunic is more rarely
represented, and the loin-cloth is usually hidden under the
abayah in the case of nobles and kings. We see the princes
of Lagash wearing the simple loin-cloth, on the monuments of
Urnina, for example. For the Egyptian abayah, and the manner
of representing it, cf. vol. i. pp. 69, 71.
The favourite material in ancient times, however, seems to have been
a hairy, shaggy cloth or woollen stuff, whose close fleecy thread hung
sometimes straight, sometimes crimped or waved, in regular rows like
flounces one above another. This could be arranged squarely around the
neck, like a mantel, but was more often draped crosswise over the left
shoulder and brought under the right arm-pit, so as to leave the upper
part of the breast and the arm bare on that side. It made a convenient
and useful garment--an excellent protection in summer from the sun, and
from the icy north wind in the winter. The feet were shod with sandals,
a tight-fitting cap covered the head, and round it was rolled a thick
strip of linen, forming a sort of rudimentary turban, which completed
the costume.*
*Cf. the head belonging to one of the statues of Telloh,
which is reproduced on p. 112 of this volume. We notice the
same head-dress on several intaglios and monuments, and also
on the terra-cotta plaque which will be found on p. 330 of
this volume, and which represents a herdsman wrestling with
a lion. Until we have further evidence, we cannot state, as
G. Raw-linson did, that this strip forming a turban was of
camel’s hair; the date of the introduction of the camel into
Chaldoa still remains uncertain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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