Abstract :
This study investigates the most popular headdress fashions in ancient Western Anatolia as detected in the arts of the region from seventh to fourth centuries BCE. The origins of each headdress, its possible meaning within the socio-cultural context, and its occurrence in Greek and Near Eastern iconography are also discussed. The examination of the most popular headdresses is classified under five typological categories; polos., veil, bashljk, griff on crown, and the Phrygian cap. Examples come from representations in different media, ranging from wall painting and architectural sculpture to sculpture in the round and ivory statuettes. The study reveals that some of the headdresses such as the polos and veil originate in Bronze Age Anatolia, while others like bashljk was introduced to Anatolian costume fashion and imagery through the Achaemenid influence. Besides providing a typological classification of Anatolian headdress imagery, the close examination of the language of headdress in ancient Anatolia hints at the sociocultural and religious associations of the each fashion as well as the roles and status of the wearers. The polos and veil, for examples, could be related to the popularity of the fertility cults in Anatolia and matronly status, while the bashljk fashion among aristocratic men invokes the wearers association with the Persian nobility or courtly-military status.
Keywords :
Costume History , Antient Headdress Fashions , Fobs , Veiling , Ancient Anatolia
