Felted wool- Roman evidence?

[sally]

I'm trying to track down actual written references or extant examples of felted wool during the Roman period.

I have a lot of anecdotal evidence, secondary sources mention things like subarmalis, caps, possibly shoeliners/socks and so on, which certainly implies that its around, and there is no doubt that felt is being made into very ornate things in earlier periods (I'm thinking of the Pazyryk finds as an earlier example that show just what can be done with the material), but can anyone point me to anything solidly Roman please that isn't just 'we think they had this'?

cheers
Sally

[Marcus Mummius]

Salve,

The 1st century BC scutum, found at Fayum, had it's front and back covered with felt. It isn't sure however if this scutum belonged to a Roman soldier or a Roman ispired ptolemean soldier...

Vale,

[sally]

Excellent, many thanks, thats exactly the sort of thing I'm after

[Peroni]

There is also an Imperial Gallic F type helmet from Vindonissa still in a preserved leather bag/cover with felted wool and fur liner.

[Graham Sumner]

Hi
There is a picture of Roman Felt workers on a wall painting from Pompeii. Any book on Pompeii should have the picture.

I have collected a few references to felt which will be published in my next book for Tempus.

Graham.

[sally]

Hi
There is a picture of Roman Felt workers on a wall painting from Pompeii. Any book on Pompeii should have the picture.

I have collected a few references to felt which will be published in my next book for Tempus.

Graham.

are you thinking of the fullers from the fullonica? If so, thats not the same thing, thats walking woven cloth, its felt in the sense of felted fibres, not fulled cloth that I'm after this time

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Sally

No, they are felt makers! Look for the Verecundus shop sign. eg Michael Grants Pompeii book page 93.

Also mentioned in Wild 'Textile Manufacture in the Northern Roman Provinces' although that is harder to get.

However as I said I will have references and illustrations of Roman fullers and felt makers in my next book.

Graham.

[sally]

http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/fuller2.jpg is this the one you mean? I'd seen this painting before but had always assumed it was finishing being done on woven textile not on 'raw' fibres.

Whats your next book on Graham and when is it out? Will be interesting to read your section on felt.

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Sally

Yes that is the one.

re book, hopefully it will all be over by Christmas!

The title is 'Roman Military Dress'.

Graham.

[claudia crisis]

Two references describing the use of a protective undergarment, and the materials used in its construction can be found in ‘De rebus bellicis’:-

i) “Inter omnia, quae ad usum bellicum provida posteritatis cogitavit antiquitas, thoracomachum quoque mira utilitate ad levamen corporisarmorum ponderiet asperitati subiecit….â€

[sally]

Hi Sally

Yes that is the one.

re book, hopefully it will all be over by Christmas!

The title is 'Roman Military Dress'.

Graham.

Cool, will look forward to seeing it. What makes you feel certain that this image is fibre felting not woven textile felting? My main doubt comes because the image seems to read sequentially as a stage of manufacture, and the last imnage visible is someone holding up what appears to be a woven textile.