06-10-2007, 05:14 AM
I my opinion the postet cuirasses are clearly quilted ones. It looks like the medieval depictions of aketons/gambesons/jacks. Quilting in vertical lines or diamond shaped was very common.
I don't think we can so easily interprete every cuirass on a picture with a"mythical" theme as an uncommon one. At least when the used helmets, shields and weapons are common ones. Why should the artists especially have shown only "strange and outlandish" cuirasses composed with "normal" other equipment?
The zig-zag pattern could be a very crude depiction of scales (I don't believe this), or be painted or perhaps stitched to give a pleasant appearance as well as a stabilising function. The zig-zags of some of the (presumably) thick chitons and perizomades come to mind, I have to think about the possible conclusions.
I don't think we can so easily interprete every cuirass on a picture with a"mythical" theme as an uncommon one. At least when the used helmets, shields and weapons are common ones. Why should the artists especially have shown only "strange and outlandish" cuirasses composed with "normal" other equipment?
The zig-zag pattern could be a very crude depiction of scales (I don't believe this), or be painted or perhaps stitched to give a pleasant appearance as well as a stabilising function. The zig-zags of some of the (presumably) thick chitons and perizomades come to mind, I have to think about the possible conclusions.
Wolfgang Zeiler
