Clothes of Ancient Egypt. Clothes of Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt is considered one of the oldestcivilizations. It had its own cultural values, political system, world view, religion. A separate trend was the fashion of Ancient Egypt. It should be noted that the evolution of this civilization has not yet been fully explored and is still of particular interest to many scientists. The fashion of Ancient Egypt is the subject of study of modern fashion designers and designers. What is the reason for this interest? We will go further.
General information
What is so attractive today clothes of the AncientEgypt? The discussion is mainly conducted around the exact and elegant cut, as well as the original finish. All elements were thought through to the smallest detail. Clothing of Ancient Egypt (women's, men's, clothes of pharaohs and ordinary people) was comfortable, there was nothing superfluous in it. But along with this, the impression of a completely completed image was created.
Clothing of Ancient Egypt: basic characteristics
The outfits of past cultures differ in theirunchangeability, monotony and constancy. But even in those distant times you can see the technical improvement of the elements, the accuracy of the pattern calculation, the elegance in the processing of fabrics. Clothes and hairdos of Ancient Egypt were thought through in the most detailed way. Despite the fact that the costume is contrast, it is very expressive, harmonious. The clothes of Ancient Egypt made the figure of a person geometrically stylized. This is evident from the surviving sculptures and drawings. In this stylization, the intentions of fashion were very clearly manifested. In some cases, even sharper than it actually was. Sculptors and artists of Egypt studied the art of stylization in special palace schools. All of them were at the temples. The art of stylization was prescribed by the existing canons, exact norms and established traditions, which were never violated. Such precision and clarity concerned both the hairstyles and clothing of the Egyptians. It should be said that the outfits of this civilization remained unchanged for a long period: in the fourth millennium they were the same as in the second. Actually, we are talking about two types of clothing: male and female. By its decoration it was possible to judge the person's belonging to a certain social class.
Perfection of outfits
The history of ancient Egyptian clothing takes its beginningwith men's hip triangular dressings with an apron. They were called "senti". These dressings were decorated with numerous draperies. Over time, this clothing of Ancient Egypt was improved. Draperies became more complicated, they began to be fastened on the waist by a belt, which was decorated with gold threads and ornaments. It should be assumed that such a decoration testified to the rather high social position of the owner. The clothing of Ancient Egypt was further developed. Subsequently, the shenti were worn as underwear. On top of him they wore a transparent cloak, similar in silhouette to a trapezoid, and tied with a belt. In addition to the along there were pleating, decorations and headdresses.
Contrasts
It is with the men's simple loincloth dressingsthe outfit of the Egyptians began to take shape. The body was naked. Initially, the bandage played the role of "apron" and was considered working clothes. But the clothes of the grandee in Ancient Egypt began to take shape. In a person who held a higher status in society, the bandage was carefully collected in folds, decorated with belts. The front of the element extended to the bottom in the form of a triangle. It was also decorated with geometric patterns. In sculpture and painting, we can note how the white bandage and the brownish-red color of the skin clearly contrast. This shade was clearly defined. The skin color of women and slaves was portrayed in a different way. He was yellow.
Women's clothing
The dress was exceptionally functional. What clothes were worn in ancient Egypt, the fairer sex? The dress was sewn from a thin fabric. It looked like a tight-fitting case. Subsequently, this dress was called kalasins. The fabric accurately depicted the figure, in connection with which there is a suggestion that this clothing of Ancient Egypt was knitted. Later, the dress was divided into a vest and a skirt. Last in its length reached the middle of the roe. On the skirt was a high belt that emphasized the figure of a woman. The ideal was a tall, slender brunette with broad shoulders and a thin waist. Tightly fitting skirt skirt did not allow to make wide steps. This means that the gait was also clearly regulated. Elements of the waistcoat were two wide straps. As a rule, they were tied on the shoulders. The breasts remained nude. However, it was not exhibited, as, for example, in the later Cretan fashion. Naturalism was restrained and eluded attention at the first moment.
Features of the outfits
It is necessary to say more about naturalism andstylization of costumes. In comparison with the late analogies, for example, the Spanish fashion of the period of Mannerism, the trends of rococo and Gothic, it seems that Egyptian clothing is the embodiment of some final stage of the long development of the costume culture. There is an assumption that the outfits have become in some way the highest stage of the previous non-preserved neolithic tendencies. Here you should pay attention to the elegant details of the costumes. Clothing, both female and male, is based on the contrasts of material and color. On the smooth soft fabric or naked body, relief strips of colored faience beads, usually green or blue, are highlighted. They formed a kind of collar and complemented women's or men's clothing. Colorful decorations, as a rule, contrasted with a white cloth, column-shaped figures - with black thick hair or wigs that geometrically framed the face. The makeup was imposed by men and women. In accordance with the existing tradition, lips, eyebrows and eyes were tinted. In the time of the New Reign, the clothes of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt were even more stylized, luxurious. The outfits differed in the variety of colors.
Further development
Put only to women klasirisislater began to wear and men. New elements of the outfit began to appear. One of them was the upper cloak. It was a kind of shawl, gently gathered in folds on top of the waistcoat and crossed on the chest. As a result, short sleeves formed. In the new clothes you can again see a stylized triangle. It can be traced in the form of sleeves and in a skirt, the front part of which looked like a bell. But now it's not so much a geometric figure, but more a stylized lotus. The clothing of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt has always been supplemented with ornaments. Among the crafts in those days was popular engraving and chasing. The Egyptians skillfully treated precious stones and their analogues. It was from this civilization that various decorations went: tiaras, bracelets, earrings, brooches, rings and so on.
Jewelry Art
Ornaments were an integral part of the dress of peoplethe higher classes. Clothing grandees in ancient Egypt was luxurious. It should be noted that no one was able to surpass the jewelry art of this people both in artistic expression and in technical execution. Egyptian fashion, jewelry, as, indeed, all of art in general, almost at all times attracted its mystery. In the modern world, they literally survived the revival. This was influenced by the discovery in 1920 of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Fabrics
Despite the fact that for a long time in the valleyNile was spreading sheep, wool was considered "unclean" in a ritual sense. When making clothes, only linen cloths were used. The skill of spinners of that time does not cease to amaze the imagination of modern historians. Some samples of canvases have survived, in which for 1 square. cm, there were 60 threads of duck and 84 bases, and 240 meters of such yarn weighed nothing at all. Practically transparent lightest fabrics that Egyptian spinners made were compared with "woven air" or "baby breathing". They were very valuable.
