In this study Larissa Bonfante traces the development of Etruscan dress from the eighth to the fifth century B.C.E., using as evidence actual remnants of costumes, sculptures and other artistic representations, and literary passages dealing with the subject. Bonfante explores Near Eastern influences on Etruscan dress as well as the relationships of Greek and Roman styles to Etruscan styles. She also addresses the problem of determining which garments were actually worn and which were only artistic conventions. In addition, by tracing the origin of each style of dress, she provides a chronology of Etruscan relations with the Near East and the cities of Greece.
For this paperback edition, an updated bibliographical essay discusses the latest research and discoveries in the field.