Reconstruction of Felt Subarmalis and Linen Pteryges

[tlclark]

Got to weigh in here:

Blocking the felt, by wetting it and pressing it, makes them much stiffer and much more like the statuary.

I have three ideas regarding pteruges

1. All the evidence suggests fabric construction or fabric coverings at the least. Even then the drape and stiffness of the material suggests linen (or something else) and not leather.

2. The linothorax is a major source for the musculata (less certain about other types of armor) so we can suspect that the subarmalis is of similar construction in the musculata I think.

3. The fringe and borders appear to be intergral which would exist with a linothorax type construction, but not leather. I believe the fringe to be a natural product of the construction.

That leaves, linen covered leather, linen layers, or some weft-faced woven material, perhaps tablet woven.

weft faced weave has a distinctive diamond chevron pattern to the weave. This is near identical to what we see on many of the statue. In the weft faced example, the fringe is mearly the linen warp exposed at the end. The bound edges are also a natural product of weft faced weaving, as in a navajo rug.

I think it is very possible we are seeing heavy woolen woven bands. I reconstructed mine as felt with linen covers, but getting the band to bind all three edges is awkward at best. And we don't see a bottom band on some greek linothorax with fringe.

Just something to chew on.