How our Foremothers dressed

A talk with slide projection

…These gestures of reverent blessing seem to capture the essence of Cretan culture because, as the archaeologist Platon maintains, it was a society in which the whole of life was permeated by an ardent faith in Nature, source of all creation and harmony…

In the mythological images of Crete there is the recognition of our unity with the earth – another theme that returns today as a prerequisite for ecological survival.

The free ladies of Crete

…”What slender waists these women have, coming and going on the terraces at Knossos. And above the slender waist, bound by a sash, above the stiff, ringing flounces of the skirt, these women… are all décolleté…”

“These women dress like their goddesses… In transparency, the comely goddesses reveal their breasts, their navels, all delightful signs of fertility. Fertility and beauty blend with serene ease, with elegance, on this island rich in palaces, fish, seas, bull-leaping…”

(Armanda Guiducci, Donna e serva, Rizzoli)

…A singular feature of Cretan culture is the absence of male statues and portraits of kings or dignitaries. Figurines and seals always show woman as the protagonist. The only exception is the famous, beautiful “Prince of the Lilies”, a long-haired, unarmed young man crowned with peacock feathers, walking among flowers and butterflies…

To be continued…