It looks like a Restoration, but I have seen geometric patterns on 4th/5th century Roman Mosaics of Dresses, and 4th-6th century Women's tunics found in Egypt always had two clavii running down the front from the neck to the edge.
I have seen this actual portrait sculpture before in an exhibition on Roman influences in Scandinavia. The exhibition catalogue says the portrait face is original but it was added to the rest in the eighteenth century.
There are however examples of clothing from late Roman Egypt with patterns like this. They are sometimes in blue and white stripes and look like a modern day dish cloth!
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.
I think that's just single-colour crochet, isn't it? The 'stripes' are the colour of the background showing through. Nice though!
Quote:Stripey Tunics in the Santa Maggiore
Yes, the baby is certainly wearing stripes, which shows it was possible. I think the women just have clavi though - the two tones of blue in the dress are possibly intended as relief shading (as on the soldier's orange tunic), with the clavi in yellow.