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Weaving through history 1

Weaving through history



Weaving through history 4

Declaration I, Khushi Ganatra from FYS-Section D hereby declare that all digital and written work appearing in this book as part of my Imaging course 15th week submission under the academic guidance of my course faculty is my own and all sources of knowledge used have been duly acknowledged. I will be solely responsible for any irregularity found with respect to non-adherence of academic integrity as per ISDI School of Design and Innovation’s standards and requirements. 5

CONTENTS 1. 4. Indus valley Minoan civilization civilization 33ooBCE-1300BCE 2000-1400BCE pg 6-9 pg 18-21 2. Ancient Egypt 3150BC-2686BC pg 10-13 3. Mesopotamian civilization 3100BC pg 14-17 6

8. Ancient Greece 700BC-480BC pg 34-37 7. Ancient Rome 753BC-509BC pg 30-33 5. 6. Ancient China Ancient Japan 1250BC 1000BC-300AD pg 22-25 pg 26-29 7

Weaving through history 33oo BCE-1300 BCE

Indus Valley Civilization

Weaving through history Female figurines The fashion of the Indus Valley people consisted of loin cloth for men, wrap skirts and shoulder shoals for women, sandals made of cloth and wood and clothes made of cotton and woollen yarn Terracotta figurines uncovered at Mehrgarh show a male figure wearing what is commonly interpreted to be a turban; female figurines depict women with elaborate headdress and intricate hairstyles. . In certain cases, these headdresses have led historians to attach a religious connotation to the figurines and to the interpret the headdresses as symbols of a mother goddess. Harappans may even have used natural colours to dye their fabric. Research shows that the cultivation of indigo plants (genus: Indigofera) was prevalent. However, it does not provide any concrete proof to legiti- mize the history of clothing in the Harappan times. Textiles are rarely preserved and Harappan figurines are usually unclothed, so there is not much evidence of Harap- pan clothing. Small fragments of cloth preserved in the cor- rosion products of metal objects show that the Harappans wove a range of grades of cotton cloth. 10

Priest King of Mohenjodaro One of the most important recovered figurines is that of The calmly seated Priest-King is depicted wearing a shawl with floral patterns. So far, this is the only sculpture from the \"Priest King\" from the site of Mohenjo-daro. It is not the Indus Valley to show clothing in such explicit detail. only important because scholars have called it a represen- tation of an assumed authority or head of state but also be- cause of what it is wearing, however, it was recently discov- ered to be an interpretation of a wealthy trader. 11

Weaving through history 3150BC-2686BC

Ancient Egypt

Weaving through history Clothing of Egypt 14

Ancient Egyptian fashion consist- The Egyptians used linen to make most of their clothing, a light and cool ma- ed of clothes adorned with a variety of terial, perfect for a hot climate. White colors and precious gems and jewels. was the most common choice of color, While fashion in Ancient Egypt was but they also used red, blue and yel- primarily constructed for the purpose low. Clothing was worn draped over of comfort, this did not mean that an- the body and was either tied or sewn cient Egyptians felt they should sacri- in a few places. Other items, made of fice beauty for comfort.Evidence exists wool, have been found more rarely, for production of linen cloth in Ancient since tombs did not shelter objects Egypt in the Neolithic period, c. 5500 made from animal products. A hor- BC. Cultivation of domesticated wild izontal ground loom was used prior flax, probably an import from the Le- to the New Kingdom, when a vertical vant, is documented as early as c. 6000 two-beam loom was introduced, prob- BC. Other bast fibers including rush, ably from Asia. Only the wealthy wore reed, palm, and papyrus were used animal fibers that were the object of ta- alone or with linen to make rope and boos. They were used on occasion for other textiles. Evidence for wool pro- overcoats, but were forbidden in tem- duction in Egypt is scanty at this peri- ples and sanctuaries.Peasants, work- od. Spinning techniques included the ers and other people of modest condi- drop spindle, hand-to-hand spinning, tion often wore nothing, but the shenti and rolling on the thigh; yarn was also (made of flax) was worn by all people. spliced. The most common headdress Slaves often worked naked. was the khat or nemes, a striped cloth worn by men. 15

Weaving through history 3100 BC

Mesopotamian civilization

Weaving through history 18

Seal from Mesopotamia In Mesopotamia, the clothing of a regular Sumerian was A different style of dress is evident in Mesopotamian sculp- tures dating after about 2370 BCE. Both men and women very simple, especially in summer, in the winter wearing were clothed in a large piece of material—most commonly clothes made of sheep fur. Even wealthy men were de- of wool, though later also of linen—draped around the body picted with naked torsos, wearing just some kind of short over a skirt. This garment, similar to a shawl, was character- skirt, known as kaunakes, while women wore long dress to istically edged with tassels or fringe. The draping varied, but, their ankles. The king wore a tunic, a coat that reached to for men at least, the fabric was arranged so that the fullness his knees, with a belt in the middle. Over time, the develop- was at the rear, leaving the right, or sword, arm free. This ment of the craft of wool weaving has led to a great variety in newer form of dress had originated from farther north and clothing. In later civilizations of Mesopotamia the fringe on east and was adopted by the Semitic people of Akkad under garments became more and more decorative and elaborate. Sargon (the dynasty founded by Sargon lasted from c. 2334 Fringe could be dyed many colors and layered in tiers to cov- to c. 2193 BCE) and by the revitalized Sumerian culture in er entire garments. Some men would use the fringe the years 2110–2010 BCE. Thus, towards the end of the 3rd of their shawls as a type of signature for contracts. Instead of millennium BC and later the men wore a tunic with short using a seal to impress their mark on a clay sleeves and even over the knees, with a belt (over which the contract, men would use their unique fringe. Fringe has rich wore a wool cloak). Women’s dresses featured more var- been used for decoration at other points in human ied designs: with or without sleeves, narrow or wide, usually history, notably as decoration on the leatWWher clothes of long and without highlighting the body. cowboys in the American West and as a brief fashion trend in the 1970s. 19

Weaving through history 2ooo-1400BCE

Minoan civilization

Weaving through history Women of minoan civilization 22

Early in the culture, the loincloth Practically all men wore a loincloth. Unlike the Egyptians, the shanti var- was used by both sexes. The women of ied according to its cut and normally Crete wore the garment more as an un- was arranged as a short skirt or apron, derskirt than the men, by lengthening ending in a point sticking out similar it. They are often illustrated in statu- to a tail. The fabric passed between the ettes with a large dagger fixed at the legs, adjusted with a belt, and almost belt. The provision of items intended certainly, was decorated with metal. It to secure personal safety was undoubt- was worn by all men in society, as well edly one of the characteristics of fe- as a standalone garment for women male clothing in the Neolithic era[du- during more athletic activities, such bious – discuss], traces of the practice as bull-leaping. , Cycladic clothing was having been found in the peat bogs of worn as pants across the continent. A Denmark up to the Bronze Age. triangular front released the top of the Cretan women’s clothing included the thighs. One could say it was clothing of first sewn garments known to histo- an athletic population, because of this ry. Dresses were long and low-necked, and the fact that the chest always was with the bodice being open almost naked. It was sometimes covered with all the way to the waist, leaving the a cask, probably ritualistically. How- breasts exposed.[20] Dresses were of- ever, long clothing was worn for pro- ten accompanied by the Minoan cor- tection against bad weather and even- set, an early form of corset created as a tually a coat of wool was used by the close fitting blouse, designed to narrow Greeks. the waist, as a narrow waist was prized in Minoan culture.[20][21] The belt, also kept tight, and used to narrow the waist before the corset, a long or short coat, or a hat were used to supplement the female outfit. Ancient brooch- es, widespread in the Mediterranean, were used throughout the period. 23

Weaving through history 1250BC

Ancient China

Weaving through history Robes of women Hand weaving cloth 62

In Ancient China, clothing symbolized status and profes- The Shenyi was a two piece top and trouser/skirt outfit that was been cut separately and sewn to make a one piece gar- sion. The rich and poor dressed quite differently. In early ment. The Shang Dynasty created the fundamentals of the China, poor people made their clothes out of hemp or ramie Hanfu. The Hanfu was made up of a knee length tunic tied while rich people wore silk. There were many rules about with a sash, narrow cuffs called a yi, a narrow knee length who could wear what. Only the Emperor was allowed to skirt called a Shang and was accompanied by a long piece wear yellow and during the Sui Dynasty the poor could only of fabric that reached the knees called a bixi.The earliest ev- wear blue or black. The colour of clothing also symbolized idence of silk production in China was found at the sites of emotion. White was worn when mourning and red was worn Yangshao culture in Xia, Shanxi, where a cocoon of bom- to show joy and happiness. Red was also worn by the bride byx mori, the domesticated silkworm, cut in half by a sharp at a wedding. During the Yuan Dynasty the Mongols invad- knife is dated to between 5000 and 3000 BC. Fragments of ed and brought cotton into China which was popular with primitive looms are also seen from the sites of Hemudu cul- the poor as it was cheaper. Ancient Chinese fashion con- ture in Yuyao, Zhejiang, dated to about 4000 BC. Scraps of sisted mostly of loose-fitted robes. Women wore tunics that silk were found in a Liangzhu culture site at Qianshanyang reached the ground and men wore tunics that reached their in Huzhou, Zhejiang, dating back to 2700 BC.[15][16] Oth- knees. Sleeves were long and loose-fitting and sashes were er fragments have been recovered from royal tombs in the worn as ornamentation and to hold clothing together. [Shang Dynasty] (c. 1600 – c. 1046 BC). Darker shades of clothing were preferred over light ones. Under the Shang Dynasty, Han Chinese clothing or Hanfu Light colours were mostly worn by common people. The consisted of a yi, a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied original Ancient Chinese clothing was referred to as the Han with a sash, and a narrow, ankle-length skirt, called shang, Chinese clothing. The outfit was called the Hanfu which un- worn with a bixi, a length of fabric that reached the knees. derwent a lot of modifications throughout the different Dy- Clothing of the elite was made of silk in vivid primary co- nasties. Primarily there were three variations of Ancient Chi- lours. nese garments; the Pien-fu, the Ch’ang P’ao and the Shenyi. The Pien-fu was a two piece ceremonial costume consisting of a tunic top extending to the knees, and worn with ankle length skirt or trousers. The Ch’ang P’ao was a one piece an- kle length tunic dress. 27

Weaving through history 1000BC-300AD

Ancient Japan

Weaving through history Attire of men Handloom 30

The earliest evidence of weaving in In 283, two women traveled from Ko- rea to Japan to teach silk fabric and Japan is associated with the Jōmon brocades.In the year 300, the dresses period. This culture is defined by pot- of the Japanese emperors were made tery decorated with cord patterns. In with Chinese silk. At first, the dress was a shell mound in the Miyagi Prefec- similar to the Chinese but the emperor ture, dating back about 5,500, some Yuryaku ordered reforms in the dress cloth fragments were discovered made for priests, military civilians, and no- from bark fibers.[19] Hemp fibers were bles.In addition to being differentiated also discovered in the Torihama shell by color, they changed the design and mound, Fukui Prefecture, dating back size of the sleeves and even the shape to the Jōmon period, suggesting that of the hairstyle.The “kasane” or loose these plants could also have been used tunic was used along with a short sack for clothing. Some pottery pattern im- called “akome”.The “hakama” was a prints depict also fine mat designs, loose shirt that came only a few cen- proving their weaving techniques. The timeters from the knees and showed patterns on the Jōmon pottery show “shita-gutsu” or socks.The ladies have people wearing short upper garments, always worn the “kimono” which is a close-fitting trousers, funnel-sleeves, loose gown, with long sleeves and a and rope-like belts. waist belt, on the back they wore a kind The depictions also show clothing of bow or cushion. As footwear, they with patterns that are embroidered used wood sandals with a forward heel or painted arched designs, though it and a very high back. is not apparent whether this indicates what the clothes look like or whether that simply happens to be the style of representation used. The pottery also shows no distinction between male and female garments. This may have been true because during that time period clothing was more for decoration than social distinction, but it might also just be because of the representation on the pottery rather than how people ac- tually dressed at the time. Since bone needles were also found, it is assumed that they wore dresses that were sewn together. 31

Weaving through history 753BC-509BC

Ancient Rome

Weaving through history Men’s tunic Clothing of Ancient Romans were generally simple but that doesn’t mean it didn’t change through time, although slowly. The most commonly used material for their clothing was wool but they also used and produced linen and hemp. The production of these fibers was very similar.Roman clothes were made of wool, spun into cloth by the women of the fam- ily. Later on the richer people had slaves to do this work for them. If you could afford to buy clothes, you could buy lin- en, cotton or silk, which was brought to Rome from other parts of the Empire. Washing clothes was difficult because the Romans did not have washing machines or soap pow- der. They used either a chemical called sulphur ,The simplest and cheapest tunics were made by sewing two pieces of wool together to make a tube with holes for the arms. For those that could afford it tunics could be made of linen or even silk. The tunic would be worn belted at the waist and just cover- ing the knees. The modern Western bride also has inherited elements from ancient Roman wedding attire, such as the bridal veil and the wedding ring. 34

This man is wearing a toga. Only male citizens of Rome were Roman clothing took on symbolic meaning for later gener- allowed to wear togas. They were made out of wool and were ations. Roman armour, particularly the muscle cuirass, has very large. The material was not sewn or pinned but was symbolized amazing power. In Europe during the Renais- draped around the body and over one arm. Togas were very sance (15th and 16th centuries CE), painters and sculptors expensive because of the large amount of material needed to sometimes depicted rulers wearing pseudo-Roman military make them and very heavy. attire, including the cuirass, military cloak, and sandals. The tunic was standard dress for all men from slaves to the Later, during the French Revolution, an effort was made to nobles. It could be worn plain, belted at the waist or under a dress officials in uniforms based on the Roman toga, to sym- cloak. Citizens of Rome would wear a tunic under their toga. bolize the importance of citizenship to a republic. Adopted Stola was traditional clothing of Roman women made of by the rank and file revolutionaries, the 18th-century CE linen, cotton or wool. It was reserved for women since 2nd liberty cap, a brimless, limp cap fitting snugly around the century BC when the toga started to be clothing reserved for head, was based on a bonnet worn by freed slaves in ancient men. It was a long, pleated dress, worn over a tunic. It gen- Rome, the Phrygian cap. erally had no sleeves but there were versions with shorter and longer sleeves. Sleeveless version was fastened by clasps at the shoulders. It also had belts or two that held stola. Marcus Aurelius (head covered) 35sacrificing at the Temple of Jupiter

Weaving through history 700BC-480BC

Ancient Greece

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Fabric in Ancient Greece was woven on a warp-weight- Wool was very expensive at the time, because it was import- ed from India which made clothing also expensive. Wealthy ed loom. The first extant image of weaving in western art people could afford to by clothing while poorer had to make is from a terracotta lekythos in the Metropolitan Museum their own. Women and slaves were the one that made cloth- of Art, NY. The vase, c. 550-530 B.C.E., depicts two women ing in Ancient Greece. weaving at an upright loom. The warp threads, which run vertically to a bar at the top, are tied together with weights at the bottom, which hold them taut. The woman on the right runs the shuttle containing the weaving thread across the middle of the warp. The woman on the left uses a beater to consolidate the already-woven threads. Dress in classical antiquity favored wide, unsewn lengths of fabric, pinned and draped to the body in various ways. An- cient Greek clothing consisted of lengths of wool or linen, generally rectangular and secured at the shoulders with or- namented pins called fibulae and belted with a sash. Typical garments were the peplos, a loose robe worn by women; the chlamys, a cloak worn by men; and the chiton, a tunic worn by both men and women. Men’s chitons hung to the knees, whereas women’s chitons fell to their ankles. A long cloak called a himation was worn over the peplos or chlamys. The fabrics that the Greeks used for their clothing were sometimes spun in the home (often into a heavy wool mate- rial), or made from linen fabric that was imported. For ev- ery member of the family, except for infants who often wore nothing at all, an outfit usually consisted of a square or rect- angular piece of fabric, pins for fastening, and sometimes shoes and/or hats. The pieces of fabric were folded around the body, and pinned together at the side seams and shoul- ders, as well as being belted. Though it might sound as if the Greeks walked around wearing plain potato sacks, their clothing would have been dyed bright colors and would have been decorated with ornate patterns. The Ancient Greeks were not fussy about their clothing. The garments they wore were made for function, and they were made simply. A single piece of fabric could be styled and restyled, to fit a particular occasion or a fashion. And with Greek summers being brutally hot, the less fabric and com- plicating seams to deal with, the better. Statues at the “House of Cleopatra” 39

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REFERENCESWeaving through history 1. Indus valley civilization: https://prezi.com/n1qhvj6naf8j/indus-valley-civiliza- tion-jwellery-and-clothing/ https://www.histclo.com/chron/ancient/india/indus.html 2.Ancient Egypt: https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egypt-fashion.html http://ancient-egyptian-clothing.blogspot.com/2011/11/ancient-egyptian-clothing-consisted-of.html http://www.ancientpages.com/2017/12/20/clothing-jewelry-ancient-egypt-ancient-egyp- tians-dress/ ancient.eu/article/623/women-in-ancient-egypt/ https://www.thetorah.com/article/ancient-egyptian-clothing-real-and-ideal 3.Mesopotamian civilization: http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_cul- ture/The-Ancient-World-Mesopotamia/Mesopotamian-Clothing.html#ixzz6D621QLdN https://oi.uchicago.edu/collections/highlights/highlights-collection-mesopotamia 4.Minoan civilization: https://world4.eu/ancient-minoan-civilization/ www.fashionencyclopedia.com https://www.thenationalherald.com/181104/modern-greeks-dna-similar-mycenaeans-mino- ans-study-finds/ 5.Ancient China: https://ancientchinafashion.weebly.com/ https://nationaleconomicseditorial.com/2017/02/05/canton-system/chinese-women-making-silk/ 24

6. Ancient Japan: https://ancientcivilizationsworld.com/clothing/ https://www.ancient.eu/image/6657/jomon-stone-figurine/ https://www.revolvy.com/page/Beater-%28weaving%29 7. Ancient Rome: https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-romans-clothing http://www.historyofclothing.com/clothing-history/roman-clothing/ https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/roman/ http://www.historyofclothing.com/clothing-history/roman-clothing/ 8. Ancient Greece: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grdr/hd_grdr.htm https://www.flickr.com/photos/imagem-mundo/1204694245 https://womeninantiquity.wordpress.com/2017/04/02/spinning-and-weaving-in-ancient-greece/ 43

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