Ancient Middle East and Egyptian Costume Flashcards

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the dress and accessories of the Ancient Middle East and Egyptian civilizations from c. 3500 – 600 BC.

Mesopotamia

The site of the first civilizations in the Middle East, including Early Sumerian, Later Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures.

Kaunakes

A Greek word applied to fleece or fleece-like fabric used to make skirts in Early Sumerian times.

Tunic

A garment worn by both men and women that replaced skirts and draped garments during the Assyrian period.

Shawl

Woven rectangles or squares of fabric draped in various ways, often fringed and worn by Assyrian royalty.

Tarbush

A high, brimless hat similar to a Fez, used as a traditional Arab style hat in the Ancient Middle East.

Phrygian Cap

A specific style of hat identified in the costume history of the Ancient Middle East.

Corselet

A type of upper body covering; for Assyrian soldiers, it was a corselet of mail made by sewing small metal plates onto leather or heavy cloth.

Linen

The primary fiber used to weave most Egyptian garments.

Loin cloth

The undermost Egyptian garment, often the only piece of clothing worn by slaves and the poor.

Schenti

A wrapped skirt worn by Egyptian men, also referred to as shent, skent, or schent by costume historians.

Kalasiris

A tunic worn by both men and women beginning in the Egyptian New Kingdom; also spelled calasiris.

Sheath dress

A tight-fitting colorful dress worn by Egyptian women, often consisting of a wrapped garment with a bead net dress over it.

Red Crown of Lower Egypt

A specific headdress worn by pharaohs to symbolize rule over lower Egypt.

White Crown of Upper Egypt

A specific headdress worn by pharaohs to symbolize rule over upper Egypt.

Pschent crown

A combination of the crowns of Lower and Upper Egypt, symbolizing rule over both regions.

Hemhemet crown

An awkward and unwieldy crown used rarely by pharaohs on ceremonial occasions.

Blue crown

Also called the war crown, it was made of molded leather and decorated with gold sequins to symbolize military power.

Uraeus

A representation of a cobra symbolizing royal power, worn on headbands or other headdresses by kings and queens.

Falcon or vulture headdress

A headdress shaped like a bird of prey with wings framing the face, worn by queens or goddesses.

Nemes Headdress

A scarf-like head covering fitted across the temple with a long tail at center back symbolizing a lion’s tail, worn by rulers from the Old to New Kingdom.

Flat crown

A head covering appearing in depictions of the New Kingdom queen, Nefertiti, worn over a shaved head.

Lock of Youth

A specific hairstyle or headdress worn by children of the royal family in ancient Egypt.

Crook and Flail

Symbolic items often held by Egyptian royalty to signify their authority and rule.