Gods and Garments by Cecilie Brns
Textiles comprise a vast and wide category of material culture and constitute a crucial part of the ancient economy. Yet, studies of classical antiquity still often leave out this important category of material culture, partly due to the textiles themselves being only rarely preserved in the archaeological record. This neglect is also prevalent in scholarship on ancient Greek religion and ritual, although it is one of the most vibrant and rapidly developing branches of classical scholarship. The aim of the present enquiry is, therefore, to introduce textiles into the study of ancient Greek religion and thereby illuminate the roles textiles played in the performance of Greek ritual and their wider consequences. Among the questions posed are how and where we can detect the use of textiles in the sanctuaries, and how they were used in rituals including their impact on the performance of these rituals and the people involved. Chapters centre on three themes: first, the dedication of textiles and clothing accessories in Greek sanctuaries is investigated through a thorough examination of the temple inventories. Second, the use of textiles to dress ancient cult images is explored. The examination of Hellenistic and Roman copies of ancient cult images from Asia Minor as well as depictions of cult images in vase-painting in collocation with written sources illustrates the existence of this particular ritual custom in ancient Greece. Third, the existence of dress codes in the Greek sanctuaries is addressed through an investigation of the existence of particular attire for ritual personnel as well as visitors to the sanctuaries with the help of iconography and written sources. By merging the study of Greek religion and the study of textiles, the current study illustrates how textiles are, indeed, central materialisations of Greek cult, by reason of their capacity to accentuate and epitomize aspects of identity, spirituality, position in the religious system, by their forms as links between the maker, user, wearer, but also as key material agents in the performance of rituals and communication with the divine.
“This is a very thorough account – archaeological, representational, epigraphical – of the types and decoration of dress used in Greek ritual and worship, by gods and mortals… Scholars will also find the wealth of illustration here (all colour): a valuable source for dress types and patterning, furniture and trappings, outside the world of religion” * Ancient West & East *
Cecilie Brøns is a senior researcher and curator at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. She completed her PhD in Classical Archaeology in 2015 at The National Museum of Denmark and The Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781785703553 |
| ISBN 10 | 1785703552 |
| Title | Gods and Garments |
| Author | Cecilie Brns |
| Series | Ancient Textiles Ser |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Oxbow Books |
| Year published | 2016-12-31 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |