04-23-2013, 07:25 PM
I believed it to be closed under the armpit, but you are right, it could also be closed on the back by a page or a friend.
It seems to me the artists of these representations had a couple of peculiarities (which you might call bad workmanship). All these figures are shortened, giving them the proportions of vertically challenged persons, they are all shown frontally, symetrically, and the detailing suggests a reluctance to show any motion or liveliness. That makes it difficult to see where the waist or knees of these figures actually were. The hoops of Assurbel are far too large to have actually worked, I agree with Robert Vermaat that it is probably artistic license, as with the shortened body, there was nor room for more than two segments and one decorated breast-plate.
That being said, we know segmented armour existed at the time in the Roman Empire, so why not among other Hellenisticly influenced cultures like the Arabs from Hatra? Seems a more compelling explanation than thinking of yet another type of unknown armour construction.
It seems to me the artists of these representations had a couple of peculiarities (which you might call bad workmanship). All these figures are shortened, giving them the proportions of vertically challenged persons, they are all shown frontally, symetrically, and the detailing suggests a reluctance to show any motion or liveliness. That makes it difficult to see where the waist or knees of these figures actually were. The hoops of Assurbel are far too large to have actually worked, I agree with Robert Vermaat that it is probably artistic license, as with the shortened body, there was nor room for more than two segments and one decorated breast-plate.
That being said, we know segmented armour existed at the time in the Roman Empire, so why not among other Hellenisticly influenced cultures like the Arabs from Hatra? Seems a more compelling explanation than thinking of yet another type of unknown armour construction.
