12-09-2009, 10:42 PM
Hello Paul
Thanks for showing the pictures again. The overall effect in my opinion looks wrong but as you have copied an exact tunic perhaps this requires some explanation. Compared to the loose and baggy early principate style later military tunics copying non Roman 'Barbarian' fashions were ironically more tailored and sophisticated. The most obvious addition was the inclusion of wrist length sleeves which Roman art invariably depict also had tight fitting cuffs. What you have appears to be a mixture of the early baggy look with the tight fitting sleeves and cuffs.
With the brief corpus of evidence that I have to hand, two types of late tunic appear to emerge, One is wide and has short stubby sleeves. The other is narrower with slightly longer sleeves. Based on observation of art I would suggest that the narrower type with the longer sleeves might be the style the military used. For instance compare your pose in the top picture to one of the figures in the Piazza Armerina mosaic with an outstretched arm. From your photo it would look like your tunic however is the other type. In which case that might even be a female garment.
However as I said earlier greater study needs to be carried out as to whom might have worn what and the information made readily available. I believe even something along these lines may already be in progress.
Not sure if this helps you but I feel it all adds to our knowledge.
Graham.
Thanks for showing the pictures again. The overall effect in my opinion looks wrong but as you have copied an exact tunic perhaps this requires some explanation. Compared to the loose and baggy early principate style later military tunics copying non Roman 'Barbarian' fashions were ironically more tailored and sophisticated. The most obvious addition was the inclusion of wrist length sleeves which Roman art invariably depict also had tight fitting cuffs. What you have appears to be a mixture of the early baggy look with the tight fitting sleeves and cuffs.
With the brief corpus of evidence that I have to hand, two types of late tunic appear to emerge, One is wide and has short stubby sleeves. The other is narrower with slightly longer sleeves. Based on observation of art I would suggest that the narrower type with the longer sleeves might be the style the military used. For instance compare your pose in the top picture to one of the figures in the Piazza Armerina mosaic with an outstretched arm. From your photo it would look like your tunic however is the other type. In which case that might even be a female garment.
However as I said earlier greater study needs to be carried out as to whom might have worn what and the information made readily available. I believe even something along these lines may already be in progress.
Not sure if this helps you but I feel it all adds to our knowledge.
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.