MEN AND WOMEN: THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR DRESS
The representations of costume which Assyrian art has left us are almost entirely those of men’s dress. Two examples of women’s dresses are shown in this volume. The first wears a plain ungirded tunic and a simply draped shawl covering the figure partially. The second is the dress of a Queen, and has the tunic almost entirely covered with a voluminous shawl. The wide belt with narrow belt over it seems to be confined to the men’s costume, as also the tighter and scantier shawl draperies which exist in singular variety.
For Assyrian and Ancient Persian Styles consult: Layard’s “Monuments of Nineveh”; Flandin and Coste, “Voyage en Perse”; Botta, “Monuments de Ninïve”; Victor Place, “Ninïve et Assyrie”; Perrot and Chipiez, “History of Art in Persia”; Racinet, “Le Costume Historique”; Hottenroth “Le Costume”. Also reproductions and handbooks of the collections in the British Museum.
Figs. [26], [27], and [28]: This drapery is from the figure of the King Gudea, 2500 B.C. (see British Museum). To drape, place the corner b of [Fig. 26A] under left arm-pit, and draw the edge b-a round the back of shoulders under the right arm-pit, across the front of chest, and round the back again, and under the right arm-pit once more; then throw the edge b-a upwards across the chest and over the left shoulder; the corner a will then hang down the back. Take this corner a and tuck it in at the right side of breast, as shown in illustration ([Fig. 26]). It should be noted that, unless the left hand is raised, the left arm and hand are entirely covered by this drapery, the right arm only being left free for movement. This dignified drapery presents points of similarity to the Roman “toga” of a much later period.
