The most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ... Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. ... Byzantine Gardens Byzantium undoubtedly occupies an important place in the history of garden design. ... This article is actively undergoing a major edit. ... The Byzantine Empire had a complex system of aristocracy and bureaucracy. ... Byzantine music is the music of the Byzantine Empire and by extension the music of its culture(s) as they continued in the Orthodox Christian parts of the population after the fall of the empire to the rule of the Ottoman Empire. ... A gallery of birds from the Vienna Dioscurides Byzantine manuscript. ... Anastasius 40 nummi (M) and 5 nummi (E) Byzantine currency, money used in the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the West, consisted of mainly two types of coins: the gold solidus and a variety of clearly valued bronze coins. ...

Overview

Byzantine Dress changed vastly over the centuries. In the early stages of the Byzantine Empire the traditional Roman toga was popular. By Justinian's time the upper classes had discarded this for a tunic (for males) or a stola (for females), covered by a long elaborate coat of brocade. In later periods the Arabic Turbans and caps were considered fashionable. Also, many beards were common as shaving was considered a vulgar western practice. The Byzantines chose very bright, expressive colours. Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Roman clad in toga The toga was a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome. ... Tupa Inca tunic The tunic was the common masculine garment of Roman civilization. ... The stola was the traditional garment of Roman women, corresponding to the toga that was worn by men. ... Brocade can stands for: thick heavy fabric into which raised patterns have been woven. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... The turban (Arabic: , ‘imāmä; Turkish: tülbent; Persian: دلبنت, dulband) is a headdress, of Asian origin, consisting of a long scarf wound round the head or an inner hat. ...

Background

A sculpture with the remaining torso and relatively common Greco-Roman Tunic, that survived well into Late Antiquity.

It is said one could stand in the Forum of Constantine and see a rainbow of colours. However, purple was reserved for the royal family due to its expense. Lower class people wore simple tunics but still had the preference for bright colours perevalent in all Byzantine fashions, which were incredibly varied even over short time periods. Popularity and taste seemed to be inextricably linked (at least where the Middle Classes and [[Upper Classes] were concerned) with what latest fashions were at the Imperial Court. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1038x2240, 1456 KB) Summary fr: Artémis chasseresse, type Séville-Palatin. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1038x2240, 1456 KB) Summary fr: Artémis chasseresse, type Séville-Palatin. ... Tupa Inca tunic The tunic was the common masculine garment of Roman civilization. ... Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... A fashion consists of a current (constantly changing) trend, favoured for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. ...

The semicircular cloak seemed to have been the most popular. Emperor Justinian wore one as well as his guards. The length usually fell to about the hips or buttocks and on each straight side there might be a tablion. The tablion was a decorative spot sometimes used to show the rank of the wearer by the type of embroidery and jewels that were used. The imperial cloak of the Holy Roman Emperors is still in existence and is a fine example of the Byzantine style.Each element of the cloak is outlined in pearls and embroidered in gold. Sometimes an oblong cloak would be worn. This was more of a military cloak and not generally worn for court occasions. Cloaks would be pinned on the right shoulder for ease of movement. Justinian I, depicted on a contemporary coin Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus or Justinian I (May 11, 483–November 13/14, 565), was Eastern Roman Emperor from AD August 1, 527 until his death. ... A cloak is a type of loose garment which is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat – it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit (e. ...

Hats

There were very few styles of hat for men in Byzantium. A small type of Phyrgian cap was seen in the earliest times, (before the 9th century). Mostly, men went bareheaded. In the 12th century, Emperor Andronicos Comnenus was seen wearing a smoke colored hat shaped like a pyramid. In 1159 Prince Reynald of Chatillon was seen with a tiara shaped felt cap, embellished in gold. An Iberian wide brimmed felt hat came into vogue during the 12th century and the turban also began to be seen more frequently. In the northern reaches of the Byzantine sphere, small caps with or without fur brims were seen. Byzantium was an ancient Greek city-state, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas. ... Beauty pageant tiara A tiara (from Persian تاره tara borrowed by Latin as tiara) is a form of crown. ...

Shoes

A Mosaic from the San Vitale church in Ravenna, clearly showing what appear to be shoes, socks and the standard Bishop's robes.

Not too much is seen for shoes in Byzantine Art. The Ravenna mosaics show the men wearing what appears to be sandals with white socks. Other Imperial portraits show only the tips of the shoes. In Houston, there is shown a shoe from the Imperial regalia of the Holy Roman Emperors. It is a short boot, only to the ankle, which is cut to allow many different sizes to be accommodated. This shoe is lavishly decorated. Lots of pearls and gems give a very regal look. There is gold scrollwork on the sides and over the toe of the shoe. Outside laborers would either have sandals or be barefoot. The sandals follow the Roman model of straps over a thick sole. Some examples of the Roman cuculus or military boot are also seen on shepherds. Red sandals marked the Emperor; blue shoes, a sebastokrator; and green shoes a protovestiarios. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 850 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Byzantine Dress Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 850 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Byzantine Dress Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... San Vitale is the Italian name for Saint Vitalis. ... Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... A dragon robe from Qing Dynasty of China A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. ... The most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ... Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... Roman or Romans may refer to: History Ancient Rome Roman Kingdom (753 BC to 509 BC) Roman Republic (509 BC to 44 BC) Roman Empire (44 BC to AD 476) Roman citizen Byzantine Empire (330 to 1453), also known as the Eastern Roman Empire or the Empire of the Greeks...

Superhumeral

This was the imperial decorative collar. It is difficult to determine whether any but royalty wore the collar. It is, however, one of the most recognizable parts of Byzantine clothing. It could be of cloth of gold or similar material, then studded with gems and/or immense amounts of embroidery. The decoration was general divided into compartments by vertical lines on the collar. The edges would be done in pearls of varying sizes in up to three rows. There were occasionally drop pearls placed at intervals to add to the richness. Rarely was the base fabric distinguishable after the decoration was applied. The collar would come over the collarbone to cover a portion of the upper chest. The collar was also a part of the ecclesiastical pallium. The men's version of the pallium was wide and rectangular. The back portion of the pallium would be cut fairly long so that it could be wrapped about the body and hang gracefully over the left arm. This is a distinct hold over from the Roman toga. Sometimes it looks as if the collar was being worn over a jeweled tabard. It is impossible to say whether they were attached or not. The superhumeral was worn throughout the history of Byzantium. Fabric may mean: Cloth, a flexible artificial material made up of a network of natural or artificial fibres Fabric (club), a London dance club Fibre Channel fabric, a network of Fibre Channel devices enabled by a Fibre Channel switch using the FC-SW topology This is a disambiguation page, a... A tabard worn over armour A tabard is a short coat, either sleeveless, or with short sleeves or shoulder pieces, emblazoned on the front and back with the arms of the sovereign, and worn, as their distinctive garment, by heralds and pursuivants. ... For other senses of this word, see history (disambiguation). ... Byzantium was an ancient Greek city-state, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas. ...

External links

• The Basics of Byzantine Dress c. 1000 A.D.