07-21-2010, 10:59 PM
Ive obviously been misinformed about the Pazyryk burials, thanks for correcting me.
There are quite a few Iranian depictions of combat, although they mainly depict the king or cavalry. These are usually on wax seals, so they are open to interpretation.
Many of the Medes at Persepolis are carrying weapons and shields, so it is reasonable to assume they probably reflect combat clothing (armour was often worn under the tunic).
Im friends with the publisher of the Munich scenes. They don’t depict Persians, again, they are Anatolians. The reason that they match 'Persians' in Greek art is that Anatolians would be familiar to many Greeks and would look sufficiently 'foreign' or Persian to use as a guide. They may be wearing trousers or leggings, shoes were worn with each so the fact that they are a different colour doesn't really prove anything. Trousers were more common in this area though as there is more of a Skythian influence in the dress (which is why the tunics are not so long).
I don't think that it is proven that the tiara was only worn by nobility in Anatolia? What about Persian garrison troops or Phrygians and Bythinians?
The gorytus would not be unusual to many Greek artists, Skythians worked in Greece and there were even Skythian artists in Greece. Again, Spara are very likely to have been taken as trophies, so it is not unlikely that a Greek artist would have seen one. Im sure if an artist was asked to paint a Persian, it was possible for him to check out what Persian items were dedicated at the local temple that he could use as reference?
There are quite a few Iranian depictions of combat, although they mainly depict the king or cavalry. These are usually on wax seals, so they are open to interpretation.
Many of the Medes at Persepolis are carrying weapons and shields, so it is reasonable to assume they probably reflect combat clothing (armour was often worn under the tunic).
Im friends with the publisher of the Munich scenes. They don’t depict Persians, again, they are Anatolians. The reason that they match 'Persians' in Greek art is that Anatolians would be familiar to many Greeks and would look sufficiently 'foreign' or Persian to use as a guide. They may be wearing trousers or leggings, shoes were worn with each so the fact that they are a different colour doesn't really prove anything. Trousers were more common in this area though as there is more of a Skythian influence in the dress (which is why the tunics are not so long).
I don't think that it is proven that the tiara was only worn by nobility in Anatolia? What about Persian garrison troops or Phrygians and Bythinians?
The gorytus would not be unusual to many Greek artists, Skythians worked in Greece and there were even Skythian artists in Greece. Again, Spara are very likely to have been taken as trophies, so it is not unlikely that a Greek artist would have seen one. Im sure if an artist was asked to paint a Persian, it was possible for him to check out what Persian items were dedicated at the local temple that he could use as reference?
Stephen May - <a class="postlink" href="http://www.immortalminiatures.com">www.immortalminiatures.com
