The
most ancient known delineation of the peoples of
Western Asia dates from about 2300 B.C., about the
end of the Old Egyptian Kingdom. It depicts people
of the tribe or clan Aamu, whose territory lay
presumably in Southern Syria. Their clothing was the
same for both sexes, and consisted of a fairly large
rectangular piece of material (Fig. 1) which was
wound twice round the body, covering it from the
armpits to the knees. One corner of this material,
longer than the others, was thrown backward over the
left shoulder and tied at the back to the other top
corner (Fig. 2, A).
A
garment similar to this, but more nearly square, was
worn by men. It was hung like a cloak over the back,
and one of the upper corners was brought forward
over the shoulder. Men worn in this fashion it was
probably fastened round the body by tapes attached
to it for the purpose. Though the cut of these
garments was simple, the material of which they were
made was very beautiful, being patterned in various
designs, usually stripes of green, blue, and red on
a white ground.
On
a picture five hundred years later, belonging to the
New Egyptian Kingdom, we are again shown members of
the Aamu tribe. Evidently the dress of the tribe had
changed but little in that long interval. The women
wear practically the same dress, but the men have
exchanged the garment just describedcovering the
whole person except the armsfor a simple loincloth,
and have added to it a cloak reaching nearly to the
feet, one corner being pulled through under one arm
and tied on the opposite shoulder (Fig. 3). This
cloak differed from the more ancient Aarnu garment
only in the fact that the material was cut narrower
at the top than at the bottom and was perhaps shaped
at the upper edge (Fig. 4). The knotting of the ends
was facilitated by broad tapes fastened to the upper
corners.
Very
similar to this style of dress was that of the Cheli,
or Chari, who occupied the interior of Syria. Their
sole dress was a cloak brought forward under one arm
and tied at the breast and kept in place round the
body by tapes. A slit was made to allow the arm to
pass through (Figs. 5, 6), and a collar was sewn on
to the cloak, adding greatly to its appearance. The
cut of this cloak was a rectangle very nearly
square, the shorter side being equal to the longer
side of the rectangle Out of which the collar was
made. The collar was sewn on to the cloak, and was
frequently of a different pattern. and colour ; the
seam was hidden by a broad strip of patterned braid,
the long ends of which served as tapes. The
materials used by the Cheli were not inferior in
beauty of colour to those of the peoples we have
already discussed, and even excelled them in
fineness.
To
the north of the Cheli, probably on the Upper
Euphrates between Taurus and Antitaurus, lived the
Retennu - Tehennu, divided into various clans.
The
dress of this people was different in the different
clans. It covered the person to a far greater degree
than did that of the inhabitants of Syria, and this
seems to indicate that the Retennu occupied a colder
district. From the type of their dress it
is-possible to distinguish three clans or ranks. One
wore the apron-like garment; the second wrapped
material round the body; the third wore tailored
garments. These differences, however, so far as our
knowledge goes, are applicable only to men's dress.
Women's dress consisted almost entirely of several
coats put on one over another and kept in place by a
girdle round the hips. In addition to these women
also wore a large, circular shoulder-cape, which was
fastened all down the front by means of clasps.
Underneath this cape they wore dark-coloured ribbons
crossed over the breast, with the long ends hanging
over the back.
The apron-like garment of the Retennu was made as
follows: an almost rectangular piece of material of
suitable size (Fig. 8) was thrown round the loins
and kept in place by a girdle and perhaps also by
broad tapes crossed at the breast and back. With
this was worn a fairly large shoulder-cape (Fig. 9),
which covered one arm down to the elbow and left the
other arm bare. This cape came right up to the neck,
and seems to have been fastened down the short side
by means of clasps.
If we judge from the richly patterned materials
used, the wrap style of costume was a privilege of
the wealthier classes. These garments had the shape
of a very much elongated triangle, whose tapering
end was kept in place by a girdle (Fig. 7, B). With
this the Retennu wore what looks like a tight but
elastic collar, which for the sake of freedom of
movement was pushed high up at one shoulder. They
seem also to have used shoulder-capes similar to
those already mentioned. The third style of dress
was so entirely different from the other two that it
must have been peculiar to one special clan -
unless, indeed, it was the exclusive war - dress of
this people (Fig. 7, A). This dress, made of very
strong material (probably leather), consisted of a
coat with long, tight sleeves, covering the body
from the neck to below the calves. In cut it
resembled the Egyptian kalasiris, with this
difference - that along all seams and down the front
it was covered with broad strips of coloured
material and the bottom edge was trimmed with
tassels attached by cords.
The
most ancient known delineation of the peoples of
Western Asia dates from about 2300 B.C., about the
end of the Old Egyptian Kingdom. It depicts people
of the tribe or clan Aamu, whose territory lay
presumably in Southern Syria. Their clothing was the
same for both sexes, and consisted of a fairly large
rectangular piece of material (Fig. 1) which was
wound twice round the body, covering it from the
armpits to the knees. One corner of this material,
longer than the others, was thrown backward over the
left shoulder and tied at the back to the other top
corner (Fig. 2, A).
A
garment similar to this, but more nearly square, was
worn by men. It was hung like a cloak over the back,
and one of the upper corners was brought forward
over the shoulder. Men worn in this fashion it was
probably fastened round the body by tapes attached
to it for the purpose. Though the cut of these
garments was simple, the material of which they were
made was very beautiful, being patterned in various
designs, usually stripes of green, blue, and red on
a white ground.
On
a picture five hundred years later, belonging to the
New Egyptian Kingdom, we are again shown members of
the Aamu tribe. Evidently the dress of the tribe had
changed but little in that long interval. The women
wear practically the same dress, but the men have
exchanged the garment just describedcovering the
whole person except the armsfor a simple loincloth,
and have added to it a cloak reaching nearly to the
feet, one corner being pulled through under one arm
and tied on the opposite shoulder (Fig. 3). This
cloak differed from the more ancient Aarnu garment
only in the fact that the material was cut narrower
at the top than at the bottom and was perhaps shaped
at the upper edge (Fig. 4). The knotting of the ends
was facilitated by broad tapes fastened to the upper
corners.
Very
similar to this style of dress was that of the Cheli,
or Chari, who occupied the interior of Syria. Their
sole dress was a cloak brought forward under one arm
and tied at the breast and kept in place round the
body by tapes. A slit was made to allow the arm to
pass through (Figs. 5, 6), and a collar was sewn on
to the cloak, adding greatly to its appearance. The
cut of this cloak was a rectangle very nearly
square, the shorter side being equal to the longer
side of the rectangle Out of which the collar was
made. The collar was sewn on to the cloak, and was
frequently of a different pattern. and colour ; the
seam was hidden by a broad strip of patterned braid,
the long ends of which served as tapes. The
materials used by the Cheli were not inferior in
beauty of colour to those of the peoples we have
already discussed, and even excelled them in
fineness.
was different in the different
clans. It covered the person to a far greater degree
than did that of the inhabitants of Syria, and this
seems to indicate that the Retennu occupied a colder
district. From the type of their dress it
is-possible to distinguish three clans or ranks. One
wore the apron-like garment; the second wrapped
material round the body; the third wore tailored
garments. These differences, however, so far as our
knowledge goes, are applicable only to men's dress.
Women's dress consisted almost entirely of several
coats put on one over another and kept in place by a
girdle round the hips. In addition to these women
also wore a large, circular shoulder-cape, which was
fastened all down the front by means of clasps.
Underneath this cape they wore dark-coloured ribbons
crossed over the breast, with the long ends hanging
over the back.
