Dress and Personal Appearance in Late Antiquity

262 Pages·2018·19.81 MB·English

by  Pennick Morgan Faith

DRESS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE IN LATE ANTIQUITY
LATE ANTIQUE
ARCHAEOLOGY
(SUPPLEMENTARY SERIES)
SERIES EDITOR
LUKE LAVAN
MANAGING EDITOR
MICHAEL MULRYAN
VOLUME 1
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/laax
DRESS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE
IN LATE ANTIQUITY
THE CLOTHING OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASSES
BY
FAITH PENNICK MORGAN
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: Child’s wool tunic, front, Whitworth T.8549 (cat. no.71), picture credit: © The Whitworth,
University of Manchester.
Cover illustration (background): Mosaic of Ananeosis (renewal), Antakya, 5th c. A.D. Antakya
Archaeological Museum. Photo courtesy of Dick Osseman (http://www.pbase.com/dosseman).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Morgan, Faith Pennick, author.
Title: Dress and personal appearance in late antiquity : the clothing of the
 middle and lower classes / by Faith Pennick Morgan.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2018. | Series: Late antique
 archaeology | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017032757 (print) | LCCN 2017040718 (ebook) | ISBN
 9789004353466 (E-book) | ISBN 9789004343955 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Clothing and dress—Mediterranean Region—History. | Clothing
 and dress—Social aspects—Mediterranean Region. | Beauty,
 Personal—Mediterranean Region—History. | Mediterranean
 Region—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC GT560 (ebook) | LCC GT560 .M67 2018 (print) | DDC
 391.009182/2—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017032757
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isbn 978-90-04-34395-5 (paperback)
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Contents
Foreword ix
List of Illustrations X
List of Abbreviations xvI
Introduction: Methodology and Sources 1
Sources 1
Written Sources 1
Archaeological Sources 3
Art Historical Sources 5
Methodology 6
What Did the Clothes Look Like? 6
What is the Purpose of the Embellishments on Clothing? 6
How Were the Clothes Made? 7
An Overview of Dress Studies 8
Clothing as Message 9
Object ‘Biography’ 11
Conclusion 13
1 Current Research on Roman Dress 14
Clothing and Personal Adornment 14
The Toga 14
Mantles and Cloaks 14
The Tunic 16
Trousers and Undergarments 17
Belts, Brooches, Bags and Footwear 18
Hats and Headgear 20
Hair and Cosmetics 20
Tattoos, Branding, Mutilation and Other Body Modifications 21
Thematic Studies: An Overview and New Research 22
Textile Production and Dress 22
Regional Variation in Clothing 23
Social Status and Dress 24
Religion and Dress 25
Professional Costumes 26
Colour 26
Conclusion 27
2 Late Antique Society 29
Clothing in Late Antiquity 29
Apotropaism and Clothing: Magical Practice in Late Antiquity 32
Conclusion 36
3 Cultural Values in Clothing: Apotropaic Practices 38
The Evil Eye 38
Knots and Interlace Patterns 39
Coins 42
Pictures on Clothing 44
Apotropaic Use of Colour 50
Apotropaic Words, Signs and Letters on Garments 57
Conclusion 63
vi contents
4 ‘The Life of Clothes’ in Late Antiquity 65
Introduction 65
Tunics 65
Square Tunics: Catalogue Numbers 1–21 65
Short Sleeved Tunics: Catalogue Numbers 22–42 67
Wide Sleeved Tunics: Catalogue Numbers 43–55 68
Tailored Tunics: Catalogue Numbers 56–72 68
Narrow Sleeved Tunics: Catalogue Numbers 73–187 70
Tunic Embellishment and Dating 72
Mantles, Cloaks, Trousers and Accessories 75
Sewing and Making and the Textile Industry 77
Mending, Darning and Patching 80
Cleaning 85
Reuse 88
Child’s Blue Wool Tailored Tunic: Whitworth Art Gallery no. T.8549
(Catalogue no. 71) (figs. 56a–b) 89
Other Examples 91
Hats 91
Other Forms of Reuse 92
Kentrônes and the Second-Hand Clothing Trade 94
Conclusion 96
5 Experimental Knowledge of the Wear and Wearing of Garments 98
Methodology 99
Tunics 100
1 Square Tunic: Catalogue no. 5: British Museum
reg.no. 2004,0910.5 100
2 Narrow Sleeved Tunic in Plain Linen, Catalogue no. 106: KTN inv.
no. 476 104
3 Narrow Sleeved Tunic in Red Wool 105
4 N arrow Sleeved Tunic in Blue Wool, Catalogue no. 184; Whitworth
Art Gallery, no. T.8360 108
5 Linen Dalmatic, Catalogue no. 54: Whitworth Art Gallery,
no. T.1995.145 112
6 Child’s Red Wool Narrow Sleeved Tunic with Hood, Catalogue
no. 120: Louvre E26525 116
7 Child’s Natural Linen Tunic, Catalogue no. 116: Louvre E26248 117
8 C hild’s Narrow Sleeved Tunic in Wool, Catalogue no. 187: Whitworth
Art Gallery, no. T.8374 119
9 C hild’s Tailored Tunic in Red Wool, Catalogue no. 72: Whitworth Art
Gallery, no. T.9885 124
10 Child’s Blue Wool Capped Sleeve Tunic, Catalogue no. 38:
Whitworth Art Gallery, no. T.8377 126
11 Child’s Sleeveless Linen Tunic with Hood, Catalogue no. 2:
Ashmolean Museum acc. no. AN1888.1109 126
Cloaks 130
1 Adult’s Hooded Cloak 130
2 Child’s Hooded Cloak 132
3 Hoodless Cloaks 132
Making the Clothes 139
Conclusion 139
Contents vii
Conclusion 143
Status 144
Religion 144
Profession 144
Ethnicity 145
Embellishments 145
Manufacture 147
Problems and Final Thoughts 148
Catalogue of Tunics in Museums and Archaeological Collections 149
Glossary 167
Clothing Terms 167
Textile Terms 169
Bibliography 173
Ancient Textual Editions and Inscriptions 173
Modern Sources 176
Appendix A 188
A.1 E vidence of Mending, Patching, Darning and/or Reused Fabric
on Tunics and Cloaks 188
A.2 E vidence of Mending, Patching, Darning and/or Reused Fabric
on Clothing Fragments 193
A.3 E vidence of Mending, Patching, Darning and/or Reused Fabric
on Hats and Bonnets 199
A.4 E vidence of Mending, Patching, Darning and/or Reused Fabric
on Socks and Footwear 202
A.5 Patchworks: Evidence of the Reuse of Fabric 203
A.6 E vidence of Mending, Patching, Darning and/or Reused Fabric
on Accessories, Toys and Trousers 203
Appendix B: Figured Tapestry Panels from Tunics in the Collection of
Textiles from the Burial Grounds in Egypt, in the V&A Museum 205
B.1 Wool Tapestry with Figures 205
B.2 Silk Embroideries with Figures 216
B.3 Silk Weavings with Figures 217
Appendix C.1: Apotropiac Elements in Children’s Garments from Museum
Collections and Archaeological Excavations 218
Appendix C.2: Apotropiac Elements in Adult Garments from Museum
Collections and Archaeological Excavations 220
Appendix D: Papyri References to Cloth and Clothing Manufacture 223
D.1 Wool and Flax Preparation 223
D.2 Cloth and Clothing Manufacture 223
D.3 Apprenticing Weavers/Tailors 227
D.4 Associations to Do with Cloth and Clothing Manufacture 229
D.5 Mending 229
viii contents
D.6 O ther Professions Related to Textile and Clothing Manufacture
and Care 230
D.7 Inventories Including Clothing 230
Appendix E: References to Clothing in Late Antiquity 233
Index 241
Foreword
This book is based on a thesis produced at the University of Kent as part of Research
Project F/00 236/AF The Visualisation of the Late Antique City (2011-2014), funded by the
Leverhulme Trust, for which Dr Luke Lavan was ‘Principal investigator’ and Dr Ellen Swift
‘Co-investigator’. The thesis was supervised by Ellen Swift (first supervisor), assisted by
Luke Lavan (second supervisor). I am very grateful to the Trust for providing a grant to
Kent which supported a doctoral scholarship for three years. I would also like to thank
the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies for their generous financial contribution
towards publication costs, and the many researchers and museum curators and conser-
vators who have been generous in sharing both their time and their knowledge. Finally,
my thanks go to the many friends and relatives, who with varying amounts of enthusiasm
and patience (and sometimes chocolate) agreed to model my clothing reconstructions.
List of Illustrations
Figures
1 Eye-shaped tapestry fragment 38
2 Child’s tunic 40
3 Child’s tunic 40
4 Tapestry orbiculus 41
5 Tapestry tabula 42
6 Tapestry tabula 42
7a Appliquéd clavi 43
7b Appliquéd shoulder orbiculus 43
7c Appliquéd knee orbiculus 43
8 Wool tapestry orbiculus of the ‘triumphant rider’ 6th–7th c. AD 48
9 Amulet with the holy rider on one side, and the ‘much suffering’ eye on the
other 49
10 Hematite amulet showing a rider spearing a prostate female demon 49
11 Rider identified as St. Sissinios killing the demon Alabasdria, watercolour
by Jean Cledat of a 6th–7th c. fresco at the Baouît Monastery 49
12 Child’s red wool tunic 54
13 Child’s tunic. Note the addition of red wool tapestry trim around the
neckline on a tunic with purple clavi and orbiculi 55
14 Child’s tunic. Red wool trim and tassels have been added at the
neckline 56
15 Child’s tunic. Note the addition of red tapestry trim around the neckline
and at the cuff 56
16 Child’s tunic. Red wool trim has been added around the neck and at the
underarm openings 56
17 Child’s hooded tunic. Red wool fringe has been added around the front
edge of the hood 56
18 Tapestry fragment, Egypt, 5th–6th c. (MMA 90.5.355) 60
19 Tapestry fragment, Egypt, 4th c. (MMA 90.5.502) 60
20 Tapestry fragment, Egypt, 4th c. (MMA 90.5.617) 60
21 Tapestry fragment, Egypt 6th–7th c. (BM EA72463) 60
22 Woven textile fragment, Egypt, 7th–9th c. (MAK T 10020) 60
23 Woven textile fragment, Egypt, 7th–9th c. (MAK T 10020) 60
24 Woven textile fragment, Egypt, 7th–8th c. (MAK T 51–2) 60
25 Woven textile fragment, Egypt, 7th–9th c. (MAK T 10019) 60
26 Bronze amulet, dated to 7th–8th c., showing magical ‘charaktêres’ 61
27 Reverse side of a bronze ‘holy rider’ amulet, showing Christ enthroned, and
including magical ‘charaktêres’ 61
28 Front of child’s tunic, showing inscription cut to insert on yoke 62
29 Back of child’s tunic, showing unusual letter forms 62
30 Scale drawing of a square tunic, being worn by a man 5” 8” tall (see
n.648) 66
31 Adult wool tunic 66
32 Detail of patching on square tunic found at Kellis 66
33 Heavily patched linen tunic from Kellis 66
34 3rd c. mosaic from Saint Romain-en-Gal, France 67
35 Child’s undyed wool tunic 67
36 Scale drawing of child’s cap sleeved tunic 68
37 Child’s red wool dress 68