| . | Ancient Egyptian Textiles |
Anglo-Saxon Textiles |
| . |  |
 |
| Materials |
Linen - this fabric was made from flax plant fibers which grows in Egypt, and
produces a light fabric which is appropriate for hot the climate
Egyptians considered wool to be impure, and priests were not allowed to wear it.
|
Wool - a warm material that has natural oils that repel moisture, this fabric was
appropriate for the cold humid climate
|
| Manufacture |
1) flax plants are dried and combed
2) the resulting fibers were spun into threads - thin elastic threads were considered of good quality
3) threads were bleached to produce white color - repels heat, and considered a symbol of high status for their clean appearance.
4) threads were woven on a loom - quality fabrics were thin and transparent |
1) sheep fleeces was washed to remove dirt, and combed to free the hairs
2) the prepared wool was spun into threads - fine threads produced compact and heavier fabrics
appropriate for cold climate
3) threads were dyed (using natural dyes) into dark colors - retaining heat
4) the yarn was then woven into cloth on a loom - compact heavy fabrics with few spacing were considered the best
|
| Garments |
Hot Climate - Egyptian clothes consisted of simple kilts and kalasaris, covering small parts of the body |
Cold Climate - Thick long clothes covering the entire body, gloves, socks and hats |
| Workshops |
Common people only bought clothes occasionally
Manufacturing of textiles and garment making was performed in spinning and weaving shops
Some of the market scenes found in tombs of the Old Kingdom show the selling of linen.
|
Common people were in permanent need of heavy clothes
textiles were produced domestically in Anglo-Saxon households
All common women and men were involved in this industry, which played an important part in daily life
|
| Role in life |
Clothing was not important for surviving in the hot climate, in fact children and servants were fully naked.
|
Production and wearing of heavy wool clothes was essential for surviving the cold weather
|
