04-02-2010, 09:16 PM
Quote:I hope that as the techniques for analyzing paint and dye on surviving sculpture and fabric improve the Roman world will go from B&W to living color.
Hi
I am not sure I understand this statement as there is plenty of evidence for clothing colour in the Roman world it is just that in this respect the evidence suggests they tended to dye wool rather than linen. While most of the dye from textiles found in Northern Europe may have been lost the same can not be said for those found in Egypt were the dye survives very well. A gleaming White was obviously something that was regarded as important and a status symbol. The candidates for elections wore whitened clothes hence the name, Christ was described as having shining white clothes and soldiers on parade wore whitened clothes.
The Egyptian funeral portraits show ladies wearing very brightly coloured clothes in reds purples blues and greens. The soldiers in these paintings wear red, blue and olive green cloaks with their whitened tunics so obviously in their very best outfits for their portrait.
If you are having problems with a course wool scarf you can always invest in a very fine weave and some Roman garments in wool are almost silk like. Another accident of discovery is that we do not know how widespread the use of cotton was. There is more evidence coming to light for its use all the time. As an officer there is probably no reason why you could not have a cotton scarf.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
