late roman equipment

[tlclark]

Graham,

Yes I have noticed, nearly all figural representations show tightly fitting sleeves that taper dramatically to the wrist. However nearly all extant examples have parallel sleeves.

Which is right? It's a BIG puzzle.

I cut my tunic very tight just to conform to the art (I am an art historian so I put my preference on that) and it was completely unmanageable. It becomes hard to bend the elbow if it is very tight at all.

I think that the tapering must be partially artistic license or maybe there is something we are missing. It's impossible to get your hand through a wrist opening as tight as seen in the art.

My last time in Met I looked at the coptic examples to see if perhaps there was either a split at the wrist, or maybe a tie or fastener. This could explain how these appear tapered in the art, but in actuality be parallel.

If the wrist opening had a tie or thong or fastener that could be used to tightly bind the end of the sleeve at the wrist, that would explain what we are seeing in both the surviving examples and the art.

Alas, as hard as I look, I see no evidence for such a solution in either the art or actual tunics.

Travis