A Don's Life, the blog of Professor Mary Beard of Cambridge, is a surprisingly funny and straight-forward look at academia and all things Roman. The latest post is on a documentary of Pompeii that she is consulting on. As someone who is used to being on the entertainment end of such things, it's really interesting to get the opposite point of view. I think my favorite part is where she talks about being able to try on jewelry that was actually worn by the Pompeiians. Enjoy!
In keeping with my last post on Italian Renaissance costume I thought we would take a look at something we didn't touch much on; hairstyles. They were extremely varying; up and down, braided, netted, entwined with silks and ribbons, even pearls, and, of course, dyed, bleached, and curled. The only thing in somewhat short supply seems to be hats, and really who would want to cover up what you had spent so much time constructing? "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get the curls placed?!" 1544 Portrait of Laura da Pola by Lotto Occasionally a small cap, or scuffia, was worn either with side curls, or with most of the hair stuffed up underneathe:- 1490 portrait by Ghirlandaio 1502 Betrothal 1510 Portrait by Araldi Another notable hair decoration was the reta, or hairnet. Some of these were beaded, some woven in decorative patterns, and some left very simple. 1505-1508 Siena 1545 Lavinia Under and around these ornamentations, o...
*Drool* Pompeiian jewellery is so beautiful! I am so, so envious that she got to try it on!
ReplyDeleteMe too! I guess that's what happens when you have the monetary backing of the film industry and the mental clout of expertise on your side.
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