Cosmetics, Costumes and Ornaments in Ancient India
by Remadevi. O. | 2009 | 54,177 words
This page relates ‘Materials for Garments (Introduction)’ of the study on cosmetics, costumes and ornaments of ancient India based on Sanskrit sources. Chapter one deals with cosmetics and methods of enhancing beauty; Chapter two deals with costumes, garments and dresses; Chapter three deals with ornaments for humans and animals. Each chapter deals with their respective materials, types, preparation and trade, as prevalent in ancient Indian society.
1. Materials for Garments (Introduction)
By the term costume, style or fashion of clothing, especially of a particular nation, class, period and for a particular activity is meant. Primarily costumes are means of covering the nudity and also a protection to the body from natural calamities and several other hazards. But in course of time, this idea developed and clothes were used to enhance physical beauty also. It symbolized one’s age, vocation, origin, religious creed, social as well as financial status and even the different aspects of mind. Consequently they wore different types of garments.
Our main sources of knowledge about the history of clothing are literature, sculptures and paintings of the period. Of these, even though literature is not a visual source of information, it is rich in its indications to the different aspects of clothing from age to age. This chapter focuses on some features of clothing in ancient India ranging from the period of Vedas Materials of clothing, types of clothing, style of wearing etc. form part of this study.
Materials for clothing can be divided into four on the basis of the sources of fibers by which the materials are produced. Thus fibers are made out of bark, fruit, worms and wool or hair. In addition to these four, skin and grass also form part of dress materials.