CLOTHING OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION:
Excavations
at Moen-jo-Daro and Harappa 2500-1500B.C. revealed that the inhabitants of the
Indus valley cultivated cotton. Sir John Marshall, the archeologist has stated
that a few minute scraps of cotton were found adhering to the side of a silver
vase. Clay and fience spindles whorls indicate that cotton and woolen fibers
were spun. A well-equipped dyers workshop was excavated at Moen-jo-Daro and the
fragment of cloth indicates that woven cotton cloth was dyed with madder root.
Men and women dress in colourful robes and wore jewellery of gold and precious
stones.
a.
Men’s Clothing:
In the Indus
valley civilization (3000-1500BC) clothing tended to be simple. Men wore loin
clothes. Men wore colourful beads in the hair too. A cloak is draped over the
edge of the left shoulder and covers the folded legs and lower body, leaving the
right shoulder and chest bare. The left arm is clasping the left knee and the
hand is visible peeking out from underneath the cloak. The right hand is resting
on the right knee, which is folded beneath the body.
b.
Priest King:
The king priest
of Moen-jo-Daro (2500-1500B.C) stands on the bank of the river Indus, looking
out across the abundant cotton fields of lower Sindh. Draped across his left
shoulder is a shawl with a tree foil motif symbolizing the three sun disks,
fused together to represent the inseparable unity of the power of sun, water and
earth.
c.
Women’s Clothing:
Women were bare
to the waist. Among the things found, there was a statue of a woman wearing a
bracelet, which they may have worn, too. Some small ornaments have gold, silver,
bronze and copper carved into them. These ornaments were never buried with the
dead. Instead they were given to relatives or other family members.
d. Jewellery:
From the Indus Valley Civilization
love of jewellery pervaded Indian customs. Because of the climate, the Indians
of that day decked themselves with ornaments rather then heavy clothing Status
was reflected in the kind of the jewellery worn, high-ranking woman sometimes
covered their bosoms with jewels. Both men n women like to use ornaments. Men n
women, griddles, nose studs, ear studs and anklets only by women commonly used
necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger rings. The ornaments of thee rich were
those of gold, silver, ivory and semi precious stones like jade, crystal, agate
and lapis lazuli but the poor used shell bone, copper and terra cotta (stone)
for the purpose.
More
stuff with which to cover the body that needed clothing? They wore necklaces of
round and cubical beads of gold. They hung about their necks twisted gold wire
serpents. They wore crystal and amethyst and agate and jade. They wore crescent
shaped earrings, all gold-Ear tops, bangles and finger ring- amulets and gems
and golden safety pins. Many of the terra cotta bangles were originally painted
with black or red designs. Such ornaments are found in the thousands and may
have been worn, broken and discarded much as glass bangles are used today
through out the sub-continent.
Two
copper/bronze bangles, one from Harappa and the other from Moen-jo-Daro. The
bangles were made from a round hammered rod bent in a full circle. The space
between the ends of the bangle would be priced a part to slip it over the wrist.
Female figurines with three-sets of chokers and necklaces. This is one of the
largest female figurines found at Harappa and it has the common fan shaped
headdress with cups on either side of the head.
e.
Head Dresses:
They were fan
like plumes for the head, and “V” shaped fillets of gold with holes for
hanging pendants. They wore carnelian hairpins and ivory pinhead. The cup shaped
headdress of some figurines may have been used for holding oil and used as lamp.
Female figurine with four flowers arranged on the front part of a fan shaped
headdress with cups at two sides and braided edging. This figurine is heavily
adorned with a triple stand choker with pendant beads, a double strand necklace
with central disc pendant, and a triple strand belt with disc shaped ornaments.
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