VII

WOVEN FABRICS

G REEK FABRICS.—Many references are made by theearly Greek writers to the sumptuous patterned fabricsused in the ritual of the temples or in the costume of theheroes.

Euripides speaks of Ion taking sacredtapestries out of the coffers:

“ And these were the woven figuresportrayed, Heaven was there collecting thestars within the Ether; and the Sun drivinghis horses, to the last waning light of day,and drawing with him shining Vesper; andblack-robed Night driving her two-horsedchariot . . . and other weavings of barbarianworkmanship.”

Such sumptuous fabrics were undoubtedlytapestry woven or embroidered, and wereessentially sacred vestments.

The richly patterned fabrics describedby Homer were probably from the Easternlooms, like the “ other weavings of barbarianworkmanship ” of Euripides.

Homer in his Odyssey , describing thedress of Ulysses, says :

FROM AGREEKVASE BYHIERON400. B.C

BRITISH3 MUSEUM,

Fig. 13.—Greek Fabrics.

“A robe of military purple flow’dO’er all his frame, illustrious on his breastThe double clasping gold, the king confest.

In the rich woof a hound, mosaic drawn,

Bore on full stretch and seized a dappled fawn ;Deep in his neck his fangs indent their hold,They pant and struggle in the moving gold.”

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