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Author Brøns, Cecilie, author

Title Gods and garments : textiles in Greek sanctuaries in the 7th-1st centuries bc / by Cecilie Brøns
Published Philadelphia : Oxbow Books, 2017

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Description 1 online resource
Series Ancient textiles series ; 28
Ancient textiles series ; 28.
Contents Dedications of textiles and accessories in Greek sanctuaries -- Cult images and dress -- Sacred dress codes : dressing the part in sanctuaries
Summary 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.-- Provided by publisher
Notes Based on the author's thesis (University of Copenhagen)
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references
Notes Description based on print version record
Subject Textile fabrics, Ancient -- Greece -- Religious aspects
Clothing and dress -- Greece -- Religious aspects
Clothing and dress -- Religious aspects
Religion
SUBJECT Greece -- Religion. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85057127
Subject Greece
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2016047159
ISBN 9781785703560
1785703560
9781785703577
1785703579
9781785703584
1785703587
Other Titles Gods and garments (2017)