Costume of ancient Crete

As elsewhere, the memory of the skin garments of prehistoric times was preserved in the the costume Crétois , and they were used by the priests and priestesses. The wool, then the flax were then used. Spinning and Tissage constituted domestic activities; only the dyeing was the activity of a corporation specialized like everywhere else in antiquity. The fabrics used were embroidered. The Pourpre was the most used dyeing, in four attested different colors.

The male costume

The Pagne was almost the only male costume. Different from the Egyptian, variable shenti according to its cut, it is arranged in short Jupe or in Tablier ending in a point pointing out the tail of the animal of the primitive costume of skin, the fabric part passed between the legs and maintained with the size by a belt, decorated and probably decorated Métal. It was carried as well by the men of the people as by the princes. Costume Cycladique in addition to crétois, it was carried bent in Caleçon on the continent. The triangular front released the top of the thighs. Clothing of an athletic population could one say, because the chest always naked, is seldom covered with a Casaque, probably ritual. A long clothing was however worn to be protected from the bad weather, coat of wool ancestor of the Diphtera of future Greece.

The men carry the long and floating hair on the shoulders; several kinds of cover-chiefs were however usual, kinds of bonnets and Turban S, of skin probably. The shoes, in fact of the Boot S of skin (probably of Chamois), were of use to only leave out of the dwelling where one went foot-naked, just as in the sanctuaries and the palates. One in this respect could notice that the steps of the staircases were outside worn while they were it hardly inside the buildings. It is known that the Greeks, thereafter, untied their sandals after the action. This habit was already of use in Crete. These boots had the slightly raised end, thus indicating a source Anatolia; enough similar to those which one finds on the frescos of étrurie.

The female costume

Until the Minoan average, is before -1750, the loincloth was of use common to both sexes. The women undoubtedly arranged it more in underskirt the men by lengthening it. They are often illustrated by the statuettes with a large dagger fixed at the belt. It was undoubtedly one of the characteristics of female clothing to the Neolithic era, because one also found of it the trace in the peat bogs of Denmark going back to the Bronze Age.

From -1750, the lengthened skirt is trimmed and the Corsage makes its appearance. The belt, the long or short coat and a Chapeau supplement the female panoply. The female costume crétois was the first true costume bent of the history. The Fibule, if widespread in the Mediterranean world, used forever. The blouse independent of the skirt, itself as fitted as the blouse, trimmed with multiple wheels, make the seams essential. The wheels are an innovation, multicoloured, gansés and Galon be. Their decoration is variable, with geometrical reasons, squares, rhombuses or pilot wheels. They are bent on a bottom of skirt, height equalizes if there is a half-dozen of it, decreasing if there is a dozen of it. The chestnut, the beige and blue dominate. The documentation of Cnossos or Hagia Triada is precise on this subject and the multiple statuettes appearing the Goddess-with-snakes testify some, like what subsite of the Minoan frescos. The belt disappears while the blouse is moulted almost in Corset, laced on the front and leaving free the chest. The handles are short and of varied forms: adjusted or puffing out, leaving naked the front armlever, seeming connected to the neck by Ribbon S or straps crossed in the back. This corset makes it possible to underline the size by plating the skirt on the hips, letting spout out the centres. That supposes a metal reinforcement and consequently the everyday usage of the Cuivre.

Fitted sandals, boots, to heels sometimes, they wear the first hats known in the history. Those are forms varied, sometimes pointing out those of the statuettes of TANAGRA, but such conical, or of the kinds of Béret S seeming sometimes Tricorne S, trimmed with sometimes strange, ritual elements undoubtedly. The hairstyles are generally decorated various ornaments, the long left hair, sometimes plaits in several braids.

The jewels many in Crete, were carried by the two sexes and in all the social categories, of most sumptuous which appear on the frescos with simplest found in the burials. The Gold, the Copper, the Pearl S, the Agate, the Amethyst, the Cornaline, the Rock crystal, the Steatite and blue paste of glass imitating the Lapis lazuli one used. More the beautiful pieces were found in the female tombs. The ornaments of heads were with the honor at the elegant ones of Cnossos, Diadème S of goldsmithery appearing of the foliage; the earrings seem to have been the most widespread jewel.

Some lesson can be drawn from the costume crétois, and certain assumptions as for its characteristics, single at this period of the history, were made. The crétoise fashion making spout out the naked centres of the blouse had to be initially the appanage of a goddess, it initially had to act of a ritual costume endorsed by the priestess before becoming that of the female population crétoise. According to Glotz, “it is enough so that all the sources of fruitfulness are not intercepted, that the indices of the sex are not all invisible”. All in all, the “charm” lies in the magic “emanations” of the divine body incarnated by the woman representing of fruitfulness and maternity, beneficial fruitfulness ensuring the reproduction of the species, and acts if nothing comes to interpose to dissipate the gasoline of it.

The costume crétois is most original by far of antiquity. It is moreover the only one to have made a clear distinction between clothing of the two sexes. It is the first costume really bent with being appeared in the history of the costume.

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