Cosmetics, Costumes and Ornaments in Ancient India

by Remadevi. O. | 2009 | 54,177 words

This page relates ‘Dressing According to Financial Status’ 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.

2.16. Dressing According to Financial Status

Rich and poor dressed themselves in accordance with their economic status. Some of our writers have tried to portray this difference of standard of living of rich and poor. Dāmodaragupta in his Kuṭṭanīmata[1], in one place, has represented the son of a government servant clad in golden embroidered and saffron dyed garments. He also depicts, people having very modest wealth wearing old rags. In the matter of variety of texture also we meet with such difference. When aristocrats opted silk and such other high qualitied materials, poor had to be satisfied with rough variety of cotton.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

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