A Summary of Egyptian and Mesopotamian Costume


A Summary of Egyptian and Mesopotamian Costume
Mesopotamian costume, too, continued to utilize one fiber to a considerable extent: wool, which made a fabric of greater bulk and warmth than linen. (In the later periods, both cotton and linen seem also to have been added to the materials from which Mesopotamians made their clothes.) Throughout their history the Mesopotamians also retained a consistent approach to clothing. Mesopotamian clothing was designed not to compliment the body; but to cover it. The early Kaunakes skirts and full-length garments, the draped styles of the later Babylonians, and the shawls that wrapped the Ass)rrian kings covered the body with layers of fabric that obscured its natural lines. Such differences have been attributed not only to geographical difference between the two countries, but also to differences in standards of taste Leix pointed out that Egyptians loved clarity of form in life and in art, pl while the Babylonians loved pomp and luxury This latter preference is reflected in the heavy fabrics, rich patterns, and elaborate fringes of Mesopotamian styles Furthermore, moral reasons, possibly expressed as different views of modesty ln dress, may also have influenced styles Mesopotamian religions show a greater pre-occupation with ethical problems than do those of Egypt.