[Plate XI.]—This type of dress, which in the British Museum is described as worn by “a Mythological Figure in attendance upon King Assur-nasir-pal”, ninth century B.C., might be dated about 1000 B.C., as following the usual custom of the ancients who dressed their sacred figures in the costume of some previous generation as a rule, consists of a simple tunic with short sleeves, and reaching to the knee, cut in similar fashion to the Egyptian; then a small shawl ([Fig. 29B]) is wrapped round the hips, beginning with the corner a on right hip, and passing the edge a-b across the front towards the left and round the waist. The triangle b-e-f can be tucked in at waist-line; then the wide belt, probably leather, which is coloured buff in the illustration, is put on and kept in position by the narrow belt, which is coloured red; this belt is much better seen in [Fig. 30]. Lastly, the large shawl ([Fig. 29A]) has the corner b tucked in to narrow belt at left side of waist, and the edge a-b passed round the back towards the right side of waist upwards across the chest, and hangs down the back over the left shoulder. The original of this figure is winged, the wings being omitted here.
PLATE XI
[Fig. 30] represents King Assur-nasir-pal (ninth century B.C.) wearing a tunic of similar type to [Plate XI.], but long. Tied at his waist and covering the back half of his figure is a small richly decorated shawl about 20 inches square. Note the tassels hanging from right-hand bottom corner; these would be the same on the left-hand bottom corner. He also wears the belt mentioned in connection with [Plate XI.] The wavy tassels which look like horsehair hang from his sword belt; a tassel also hangs from the back of his necklace, and two ribbons from his cap-band. Note the similarity of this cap to the so-called fez or tarbush worn in Assyria at the present day.