Button and Loop fasteners on Paenula Cloak

[Crispvs]

Brian,

"I think that the Camomile Street Soldier is enough to explain the use of these smaller type of fasteners"

I really do wish it was that simple, but it clearly is not, as shown by the fact that we can all debate what we are seeing in the sculpture.

"also the toggle with loop is indeed evidence of how things functioned"

That is true, and I don't think most people contributing to this thread, including me, have tried to suggest that the Romans did not use toggles. However, it is one assumption too far for me, to state with such utter confidence that button and loop fasteners were used in the same way as toggles. If they were, why are two types of item so different in form?

"as far as your idea of these right angle brackets of these may have had a strap or toggle under any material that one has to fumble for beneath a garment sounds just a bit strange for any soldier to want to mess around with."

Hmm - I can do up the button on the pocket flap of my shirt with no difficulty with one hand when I am wearing a jumper and jacket as well and I am sure that, as someone who served for so long in the RAF, you can too. Do you find yourself fumbling when securing pocket flaps or does long practice mean that you can do it without looking and almost without needing the think about it? If the answer is 'yes' then might it not be equally possible that the ancient soldier might have little trouble doing something he may have been doing for years?

"They may well have had other uses"

Well - I am pleased we have finally crossed that bridge at last.

"however the idea of sword suspension is yet a subject that has no evidence at all only assumption for there is no under view of a belt to give any evidence for this."

Ah well - the same is also true then for their use as clothing fasteners. There is as much evidence for their use in sword suspension as there is for their use on clothing. Let me remind you too, as you as so keen to point out the invisibility of the rear of a belt, that we cannot see the inside of the cloak either, to ascertain whether or not the fastener is really stitched in

Crispvs